Red Storm
by SecretSky
Summary: Over a year has passed since those terrible events, and Naruto's life is finally coming together. Not only that, but he has a date with the beautiful Sakura Haruno. But a certain possessive Uchiha keeps getting in the way of things, and a red storm is approaching on the horizon as some mysterious strangers make their presence known. (sequel to Cloud Cover)
1. Unexpected Anger

**AN: **Welcome to** 'Red Storm' - **It is the** Sequel** to** 'Cloud Cover' **and will be** updated weekly. **However, I will be attempting to make this story readable as a stand-alone too if you are new, and can't be bothered reading the long novel that the first story became. This story is rated** Mature**. Warnings are in place for language, mild violence, references to sexual abuse and possible character deaths, mild sexual abuse, and so on. **  
**

* * *

Red Storm

Chapter 1: Denial

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."

~Mark Twain

* * *

A juggernaut of blond hair and orange hoody crashed into the room, slamming the door into the wall and dashing over to Sasuke who sat at his desk. It was Friday. It was also the last class of the day, and Sasuke, like all the other students was packing up his things to go home. He'd had a later schoolday than most, making up a bit of extra credit for his grades which had amounted in no end of mocking from Naruto, who had stated that if he studied anymore he would turn into a human encyclopedia - dull and square.

The brash teenager in question stopped in front of Sasuke, slamming his hands down on the desk and leaning forward. His pearly white teeth were set in a manic grin as he beamed at his friend.

"Guess what!"

Sasuke looked up reluctantly from the notes he had been checking over for mistakes. Of course, there were none.

"What?" he said to the excited teenager.

"Guess!" repeated Naruto. His shaggy blond hair stuck up in spikes, only exaggerating the excitement which shone from his tan features.

Sasuke relaxed back in his chair. It looked like he wouldn't be getting any peace today.

"There are a million possibilities, so if you want me to know, you should tell me. I can't be bothered guessing for the next hour."

His careless reply did nothing to dampen Naruto's spirit. If anything his grin widened.

"Sakraagreedtchooadatewime!"

Sasuke let slip an amused smile. "Once more in English, please?"

Naruto stood back and took a deep breath, ignoring the people that stared at him as they filed out of the classroom. He shouted it for the world to hear, raising his hands in the air.

"Sakura agreed to a date with me!"

Sasuke's smile faded and he froze. "What?"

Naruto didn't notice, his blue eyes shining. "Isn't it awesome? I mean, you know I've been asking for ages and ages, but today she said she'd give it a chance and-"

He blabbed on, but Sasuke didn't hear him, his thoughts drifting off.

Naruto had been asking Sakura out for almost a year, every few weeks, on every special occasion. Even on Naruto's 16th birthday when he'd hoped to garner a special birthday treat, she had said no. She always said no. It was…it was…a universal constant. And a cold, dark sensation settled on Sasuke as he realized Naruto's perseverance had paid off.

Sakura had finally said yes. For some reason, this made a heavy cloud of anger descend in Sasuke's chest.

"That's great." said Sasuke, cutting him off. He stood and began gathering up his notes and pencils.

Naruto's grin faded slightly and he moved back from the desk. "Well, no need to look so happy for me. You'd think the sky had fallen judging by your face."

"No, I'm happy for you. Really." said Sasuke in a flat voice, not looking Naruto in the eye. The expression on his face looked like thunder.

Naruto raised a brow. "Okaaay…"

Sasuke shoved his papers in his bag. "I mean, if you want to waste your time and money on a shallow girl who doesn't even like you, that's your choice."

Naruto just gaped for a couple of seconds. "What the hell, man?"

Sasuke shrugged. "A lot of shallow girls agree to date people they're not interested in."

Naruto closed the gap between them in a flash, only obstructed by the small wooden desk, and grabbed Sasuke's collar roughly, making him drop his bag.

"Call her shallow again, and I'll punch you in your face, bastard."

Sasuke found himself staring into two deep blue eyes swirling with rage. He wasn't sure why but this gave him a feeling of satisfaction. Naruto was angry. Good. Fucking good. He was glad he was angry.

Sasuke smirked, not even trying to pull away.

"So you're saying this is a pity date? She feels sorry for you?"

Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion and Sasuke went in for the kill.

"Because we both know if I asked her out she'd drop you faster than you could blink."

Sasuke didn't see the fist coming. He should have, considering the reddening color of Naruto's face, the eyes that screwed up in anger, the growl that escaped from his throat, but he didn't, so when Naruto's fist connected with his face, he was caught completely by surprise, and he stumbled back in pain almost falling over his chair. He straightened up, staring at Naruto in shock. Ok, so maybe he'd deserved that a little, but hell if he was going to admit it.

People heading out of the door had stopped to look, murmuring to one another as they watched the scene unfold.

Sasuke touched his hand to his lip and pulled it back to see blood on his fingers. He shot a glare at the people in the doorway who jumped and turned away, hurrying out of the classroom as if they hadn't just been sticking their big noses in other people's business.

_Idiots._

"What the fuck is your problem?" Naruto was staring at him, confusion and disbelief written all over his face. "Why are you being such an asshole? You're supposed to say something like, 'Wow, congratulations, Naruto, you got the date you always wanted.', or 'Good luck, Naruto. I hope it turns out well.' I mean…the fuck?"

He stared into Sasuke's eyes, searching for an answer. "You want to date Sakura now because she's finally off the market, is that it?"

Sasuke wiped the blood off his lip. He sneered. "Don't be an idiot. I have zero interest in Sakura."

"_I'm_ being an idiot?" Naruto gave a harsh laugh and smiled around the empty classroom as if an imaginary audience was laughing along with him. "Oh, that's great. _I'm_ the one being an idiot."

"Yes, you are." Sasuke set his pale lips in a thin line. "Have you even thought about _why_ you like her? Do you even have a single thing in common?"

Naruto frowned, thrown off by the question. "That doesn't matter. I like her as a person."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Of course it matters. You don't share any of the same interests. Hell, you don't even like _doing_ the same things. You guys only hang out because you're in the same friend group. What're you going to do, go shopping for clothes?"

Naruto growled. "If I have to, yeah. It's called trying to make someone else happy, a concept _you_ wouldn't know anything about, being a selfish assface!"

Sasuke glared. He wasn't being selfish. How was he selfish? Selfish would be to let Naruto run around like a sick puppy after that pink-haired girl for any longer. If anything he was being kind. This had obviously gone on too long. Hell, he was looking out for his friend. That was anything but selfish in his opinion. No, if Naruto was smart, he wouldn't date Sakura _at all_.

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to look out for you. You're being naïve, Uzumaki. You obviously don't know how relationships work, but if you want to get strung along that's your choice."

Naruto just stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. It wasn't exactly a happy laugh, more of a hysterical I'm-going-to-kill-you-once-I'm-finished-finding-this-so-funny laugh.

Naruto finally stopped and wiped his eyes. "And you do? The Ice Prince of Konoha High, the Lord of Heartless Rejections is telling _me, I_ don't know how relationships work?"

He snorted. "I've never seen you show an interest in anyone. _An-y-one." _He repeated the word slowly, emphasizing every syllable with a mocking smile on his face. "Hell, I was beginning to think you were asexual. Maybe you should try actually _having_ a relationship before you go around giving people your _oh-so-wise _advice."

"Unlike you, I don't need to date in order to get validation." The words were out before Sasuke even had a chance to think, and Naruto's smile completely faded then.

Sasuke swallowed. Ok, personal attacks were going a bit far. Backtrack. Backtrack!

"Wait, I didn't mean-" he started, but Naruto just shook his head, staring at Sasuke in disgust.

"No, whatever, man. I don't need this. You could have just said congratulations, but I guess that's too much for the almighty Uchiha."

The 'almighty Uchiha' avoided his eyes, choosing instead to look out the window.

Naruto walked away, but paused at the door. "Oh, and by the way?"

Sasuke glanced round to see Naruto flipping him the middle finger.

"Fuck you very much."

He exited the room as quickly as he'd arrived, slamming the door behind him and leaving the classroom drenched in silence.

Sasuke sank down into his chair, and touched his rapidly swelling lip. Well, that had escalated quickly.

He stared at the scuffed wooden desk, worn from years of use and covered in teenager's initials, carved into the wood as if it would actually make their time here at school more meaningful.

He suddenly felt extremely confused. He and Naruto hadn't fought in a long time. I mean, sure the usual arguments, insults, and so on - that was a given - but not…_really_ fought.

He leaned forward on the desk, burrowing his head in his arms.

_What the hell had just happened?_


	2. The Underground

**AN: **Thank you all so much for your reviews! So utterly happy! Here is the next chapter, and I'll be making a serious effort to update weekly (usually Sundays or Mondays). I've revised Chapter 1 for those of you that don't know. Also, I'm going to be revising Cloud Cover at some point (I want to clean up a lot of the writing), and deleting a lot of the author's notes that won't be relevant to any new readers. Finally, I have changed the rating to Mature to be safe. I've been sorting out the plot, and let's face it, knowing me with all my angst, bad language, etc. this rating will go up in future, so I might as well do it now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll update again soon. :D

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**Red Storm**

Chapter 2: The Underground

_"Never hide things from hardcore thinkers. They get more aggravated, more provoked by confusion than the most painful truths."  
_~Criss Jami_  
_

* * *

Sasuke sat alone at the small desk in his blue wallpapered room.

Usually, Naruto came round and they did their homework, or at least Sasuke would try to do his homework. Naruto would usually chatter about random things, hanging upside down over the side of the bed in sheer boredom and pleading desperately to do some video games to get him in the mood for studying.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that guy was ever in the mood for homework. Sasuke stared at the books lying in front of him. For once, the algebra, rather than engaging his mind only succeeded in staring dully back from the page, black and white, and meaningless.

He frowned at the numbers.

Ok, so maybe he'd been a bit harsh today, but seriously _someone_ had to open Naruto's eyes. Come on, he'd never had a chance with Sakura.

_She said yes._

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he remembered those words.

Fine. So let Naruto date her and find out for himself. It wasn't his problem.

He slammed his book shut with a growl and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

Then what was bothering him?

_Naruto could get hurt. He's been through a lot. I'm concerned, _Sasuke reasoned with himself.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the calendar on the wall above his desk.

It had been over a year, yet for him, not much had changed. He knew things had been different for Naruto. His life had transformed from one of abuse and misery, not knowing what the next day would bring, to a stable and loving home with good friends. The change in him had been amazing. Sure, the long dragged-out court case had not been easy, but each day he'd become brighter and when Orochimaru was finally pronounced guilty and given a life sentence, he'd never looked back. It was pretty damn remarkable.

Sasuke didn't think he could have gone through something like that without personally killing Orochimaru and everyone who had ever helped him. But then maybe that was the difference between them, maybe that was why Naruto was better at connecting with people, because he knew how to deal…

Even though…even though Sasuke still didn't really know all the details of everything himself.

That was the only sign now that it had ever bothered Naruto. He never talked about it and if anyone brought it up, he'd change the subject.

People soon learned not to ask, and no one dared to approach Sasuke with questions. Naturally, rumors had spread like wildfire around the school for a while. Everything from Naruto being more amazing than Superman and foiling Orochimaru singlehandedly, to being a cowardly rat in the organization who turned over his criminal friends in order to escape prison. On that point, Sasuke had set people right, telling them in his coldest tones that if Naruto was a rat, what did that make him for doing it too? Nobody dared tarnish the Uchiha name. Eventually the students had leaned towards the more positive of the rumors. Sasuke's popularity had increased, much to his annoyance, and Naruto became pretty popular for a while – a celebrity even.

Sasuke smiled grimly to himself. It was better this way. They didn't need to know the details. Then again, it was frustrating that Naruto wouldn't tell even him much of what had happened between him and Orochimaru. That stung.

Sasuke sighed and leaned forward, resting his chin on his arms and brushing away the strand of dark hair that strayed into his eyes.

Had it really been so bad that not even _he _could know?

The words were still branded like fire on his brain. He closed his eyes, thinking back to that day.

* * *

"_Sorry, Sasuke. This is something I'd rather do alone."_

"_Don't be an idiot." He snapped. "You'll be in a court room full of strangers and Orochimaru. Hell, I'd be fucking nervous. I'm coming in with you."_

"_No." came the firm reply. "I do this alone. It's not your concern."_

"_Not my concern?" was Sasuke's disbelieving question. "Fucking explain to me how this is not my concern? It's because of me that you…"_

_He hadn't been able to finish the sentence, breaking off, and Naruto frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's why I don't want you coming in. I made my own decisions. I don't want you blaming yourself over it. _

_He shifted as Sasuke stared at him intensely. "And you think I'll feel less guilty sitting out here, not knowing, just imagining and letting it burn away at me?"_

_Naruto sighed. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. But this time, I'm being selfish. I don't want you in there."_

_Sasuke gritted his teeth, but what choice did he have? "Fine. Have it your way. I'll be right outside though."_

"_Thanks." Naruto's reply had almost been a whisper._

_Neither of them had noticed the lawyer appear during their exchange. A smartly-dressed man with graying hair and a surprisingly honest-looking face was acting as prosecution. "Are you ready, Mr. Uzumaki?"_

_Naruto nodded, and Sasuke watched as the blond teenager swallowed and turned towards the great carved wooden doors to the court room. They made him look so small. What had people in the past been thinking, creating such intimidating doors? The doors in question opened, revealing the large court room, and an austere judge peered at them from his high wooden dock, presiding over the sea of serious-looking faces that turned as one, all eyes on Naruto Uzumaki. And he stepped inside. The doors were closed on Sasuke. His turn was to come next. Until then, silence and waiting, and the waiting seemed to stretch into an eternity out in that white lobby._

* * *

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. He was lying on his desk, his cheek crushed into the sleeve of his sweater. Sitting up, he rubbed at the red imprint of the material on his face. He must have dozed off. Sasuke frowned at the clock sitting on his bedside table. Red, glowing numbers stared back – 9:57 p.m.

Great. He'd gotten zero homework done. Sasuke looked at his textbook cover. It was an ugly mustard yellow with brightly colored letters and numbers, as if that would somehow make algebra more interesting.

No, there was no way, he would be getting this done tonight. There was only one thing for it.

Sasuke switched off his desk lamp and grabbed a large black hoody from his closet. He made his way swiftly down the stairs and grabbed his keys. Then he was out into the night, slamming the front door behind him. Tonight there was only one place he could go to forget about things.

* * *

The music was pulsing and the bar was teeming with people, not surprising, considering it was a Friday night. That was good. It made it easier for Sasuke to disappear amongst the crowd. It didn't matter. Most of the people were plastered already, barely noticing the under-age teen who slipped past them. This wasn't the kind of place for light drinking and socializing. He pushed through the crowd, the smell of sweet alcohol and sweat assaulting his nose. The soles of his shoes had to be peeled off the sticky floor with each step, and he barely moved out of the way in time to avoid a scantily clad woman almost falling over on top of him.

She looked up at him, her lipstick slightly smeared. "Hey there, handsome. Wanna buy me a drink?"

Sasuke turned his head away from the smell of strong alcohol on her breath as she hung on him.

"No. You're all right." He replied, prying the arm off from his shoulders.

She screwed up her heavily made-up face. "Suit yourself."

The woman stumbled away before falling once again. She laughed loudly along with the man who grabbed her, helping her up, and helping himself to a good feel before setting her right. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The people here were idiots, and the place was a dive, but unfortunately, it came with the territory.

He shoved his way to the bar where the barman looked at him skeptically, his brown eyes narrowing as he tried to judge the age of this suspiciously young-looking customer on sight. At 17, Sasuke was lucky enough to look older than his years, but it didn't always work. Lucky for him, he wasn't here to drink, so the barman wouldn't need to worry.

He shouted over the loud music banging through the speakers. "I'm looking for Mizuki."

Now the barman looked even more suspicious. "I don't know who you're talking about, sorry."

He began to move away to serve the other customers vying for his attention, but Sasuke wasn't finished.

"Oh really? Well, then, you won't mind if I call the police to come down here and search the premises. I'm pretty sure you've packed this place beyond capacity."

He broke and looked meaningfully at a group in the corner who were clearly high off their faces, giggling as they not-so-inconspicuously sniffed lines off one of the tables. "And I'm pretty sure, they'll find some stuff here you don't want them to."

The barman frowned, glaring at Sasuke. He jerked his head, indicating an area further into the crowds, "He's in the corner on the sofas." With that short statement, the barman moved away and began taking orders, ignoring the teen.

Sasuke peeled himself away from the bar, allowing the pushing people behind him to squeeze into the gaps and start flashing their money in an attempt to get served first.

He made his way further into the heart of the crowd. People were dancing on the floor, knocking into each other and writhing, past the point of caring if they were following the rhythm. Sasuke managed to get through without being violated too much and finally found himself on the other side, a small oasis between the dance floor and several booths with groups of people drinking and talking, or rather shouting over the music.

Sasuke saw his target - a wiry-looking man with white shoulder-length hair. Like Mr. Kakashi, the man's white hair belied his age, and in fact, was quite young. Sasuke would guess mid to late thirties, despite the fine lines that had already formed on his brow and on the bridge of his nose, giving him a constantly mean expression. Guess the saying was true. Make a face too much and it'll get stuck that way. The wind had nothing to do with it.

Sasuke walked over to the table where Mizuki sat in an expensive-looking, smooth black suit. He had his arm around two girls, laughing and making jokes as they drank.

The music was a little quieter surrounded by the tall booths and the man looked up as the dark stranger approached.

"Hello, Mizuki." Sasuke said with a nod.

The man's thin mouth stretched into a feral grin. "Why, if it isn't the little Uchiha. You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here after what you did."

Sasuke shrugged. "Orochimaru got himself in that mess. If he'd played straighter with me from the beginning, he wouldn't have landed himself in jail." He raised a brow in mock surprise. "Speaking of which, I can't help wondering how you managed to weasel your way out of prison yourself."

Mizuki nodded at the two women next to him, indicating for them to leave. They slid out of the booth, the younger one glancing back at Sasuke, a little reluctant to leave after such a good-looking guy had joined them.

Sasuke sat down in the booth and Mizuki smiled, but it was not a look of pleasure. "I know how to protect myself when things go south. As a little Uchiha rat, I'm sure you know how much the police are willing to be lenient when you cooperate."

He pulled back the lapel of his jacket, revealing a shining silver knife. "Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you for almost getting me put away."

Sasuke's eyes flicked to the blade and back up to Mizuki's threatening expression, utterly nonplussed.

"Don't be stupid. You really think it's worth risking jail just to kill me? You'll be back inside before you blink."

Mizuki reached into his jacket and fingered the knife. "Maybe I think it's worth it."

Sasuke shook his head. "You've got it good right now, don't you? You don't have to answer to Orochimaru anymore. You've got connections. In fact, you've become one of the major players now, am I right?" He relaxed back against the soft cushioned back of the booth. "As I see it, I did you a favor."

Mizuki's lip curled, and then his face brightened and stretched into a grin. He took his hand away and let his jacket fall back into place, slapping Sasuke heartily on the shoulder. "Haha! You've got that right. You might have screwed over a lot of people, Sasuke, but I made it out on top." The grin stayed stretched on his face. "And as you said, I'm one of the major players, so it's better if you don't screw with me."

Sasuke shrugged off the hand that was still on his shoulder. "I'm not interested in 'screwing with you'. I just want information."

Mizuki's eyes lit up with amusement. "And why the hell would I give you anything?"

Sasuke raised his voice above the din. "Because I know enough about you and your little drug cartel-"

"Keep it down!" interrupted Mizuki, glancing around the bar nervously. People were oblivious, dancing and lost in their own drunken haze.

Sasuke continued with a smirk, in a slightly quieter voice. "I know enough about you to have you put away for a long time, Mizuki. I didn't bother to expose you before because I knew you could be of use to me. Well, now you can. You provide me with the information I need, and I leave you alone to carry out your pathetic little operation."

Mizuki leaned on the table and took a moody swig of some brightly-colored sugary blue drink. "You sound just like Orochimaru. No wonder he liked you."

Sasuke ignored the comment. "I'm looking for a man who worked for the Akatsuki."

Mizuki's eyes flicked towards Sasuke and back to his drink. "The Akatsuki are finished with."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Their members are still around. I want you to give me a profile. I want you to tell me where I can find a man who goes by the name of Deidara."

Mizuki's gaze didn't move from his glass. "You'd be smart not to mess with anyone involved in the Akatsuki. They're not as easygoing as I am."

"If I wanted a lecture, I'd ask for it. Give me a location."

Mizuki stretched and leaned back, finally meeting Sasuke's eye. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you. Akatsuki aren't stupid enough to make their whereabouts known to the likes of me."

Sasuke frowned. "You've never had dealings with him then?"

Mizuki cocked a brow. "What do you think? A low-level runt in Orochimaru's organization dealing with Akatsuki? You give me too much credit, Sasuke."

Sasuke leaned forward and his eyes flashed as the lights of the dance floor passed over them, illuminating the dark depths. "I prefer it when people play straight with me. Orochimaru found that out. If you are a lying to me-"

Mizuki spread out his arms in a plaintive gesture. "Why would I lie? I have no interest in protecting the Akatsuki. Look, all I know about Deidara was that he was their weapons and chemical specialist. He worked closely with a man called Sasori. Beyond that, there's nothing I can tell you."

Sasuke stared into the man's face for a moment. Mizuki glared stubbornly back, his own dark eyes were the dull, muddy gray of a storm cloud, made even hazier by the alcohol in his system.

Finally, Sasuke pulled back. He stood up. "Fine. I won't interrupt your evening any longer." He turned away from the booth. "I'll be seeing you around, Mizuki."

* * *

Mizuki curled his lip and picked up his drink, tipping it towards Sasuke in a mock toast. "Great. Can't wait."

He watched, his face sullen as the Uchiha made his way back through crowd, disappearing into the darkness. He took another swig of his Blue Lagoon.

_Ugh, too sweet._

He glared around the club, looking for the girls that had long since disappeared. That kid had really put a damper on his night.

* * *

Sasuke shrugged off his hoody as soon as he arrived home.

It hadn't been a completely pointless night. He had some more information on Deidara, and a new name - _Sasori_.

Sasuke made his way up the stairs and along the corridor. He flicked on the hallway light and pulled a small key out of his pocket. At the end of the hall was a white door, plain and unassuming. Sasuke fit the key into the lock and opened the door to reveal a small dark room. Turning on the light he walked in, shutting the door behind him, and with it, shutting out the rest of the world.

He sighed and looked around him. This was his haven, his sanctuary, his mind packed into one, single room. The walls were covered in pictures, notes and old newspaper articles. Red strings connected some of the papers and a large map of Konoha City covered a large section of the wall, littered with small tacks marking various areas.

Sasuke hadn't just been wasting his time this year. He wasn't just going to give up looking for Itachi. In this room was every scrap of information he had been able to find on everyone who might be connected with him.

And the time spent with Orochimaru hadn't been completely fruitless. Sasuke had met people. He'd found out a lot of the hang-outs of the down-and-outs, the criminals of society. He'd made connections. And more importantly, as that file had burned in the factory that night, he had seen one name before it curled up in the heat and turned to ashes. _Deidara._

That was the only lead he had to go on these days, and armed with only a single name, it had been nigh impossible to pry any information out of the people in the underbelly of society. They still lived in fear of the Akatsuki.

Sasuke sank down at the desk situated in the room and turned on the large desktop PC. It hummed into life. This computer was a powerhouse, bought especially for compiling Sasuke's information, and with just a few tweaks to allow a little discreet hacking here and there. The platform loaded up and beeped its welcome sound. Sasuke typed out his new information swiftly -

_Deidara_

_Weapons and Chemical Specialist_

_Known Associates - Akatasuki, Sasori (identity unknown, possible Akatsuki member)_

He waited impatiently as the information printed out and grabbed the sheet, tacking it to the wall next to Deidara's name. There was no picture of the man, only a picture of a head Sasuke had put up with a question mark, reminding him to find out his appearance. A red string was tacked from the picture stretching across to a photograph of Mizuki. Sasuke frowned. The connection was tenuous at best, but he had a feeling Mizuki knew more than he was letting on.

Sasuke printed out another picture of a head with a question mark and wrote the name 'Sasori' under it. He pinned it to the wall, and connected the two faceless pictures with a red string. Finally, he stepped back to admire his handiwork. It wasn't much, but now he had two names. It was more to go on than before.

Sasuke stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock on his computer. 2:12 a.m. Reaching over, he clicked the mouse, shutting down the computer, and turned out the light, making his way back to his own bedroom. He'd done enough thinking tonight. Tomorrow he would feel fresher. Sasuke pulled himself out of his clothes, stripping down to his boxers, and flopped into bed. He couldn't be bothered going through the routine of getting ready for bed tonight. He was too tired.

Still, it was a while before he fell asleep. Despite the distraction of the night, a pair of electric blue eyes and sunshine-colored hair kept haunting him. He screwed his eyes shut harder, frowning into the pillow as he turned on his side.

Maybe he should visit Naruto at the cafe tomorrow. Try and set things straight.

With that last thought easing the turmoil in his mind, Sasuke drifted off to sleep, completely unaware of the chain of events his actions that night had set in motion.


	3. Selective Reality

**AN:** Thank you again for all your reviews! I'm working through answering each one, but if I miss anyone I can only apologize profusely and blame it on my brain melted state. I appreciate your reviews so much. They are what keep me so motivated in writing. Oh, also I've written a short. It was just a vent for my writing frustrations, but if you fancy reading a horrendously badly-written comedy short it's up on my profile.

As for this chapter, well, more plot and character development here, my lovelies. I keep trying to make the plot go faster, but it doesn't seem to want to. I'm afraid I'm still a waffler, and this story might turn into another novel. x( Ah well. Anyway, I'll be posting another chapter tomorrow. I have it mostly written, but I had to work out a few kinks, so it'll be up tomorrow. Be on the lookout. ;)

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 3: Selective Reality

_"It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.."  
_~Bill Watterson_  
_

* * *

The bell pinged as Sasuke opened the door to the café, passing under a huge sign overhead that read, "Full of Beans."

He had to hide a smirk every time he entered this place. Seriously, Naruto couldn't have found a part-time job more suited to him – a company that prided itself on filling people with boundless caffeine-induced energy.

The glaringly obvious Starbucks rip-off had modeled its décor on the popular coffee chain - everything from the comfy sofas and wooden furnishings right down to the kitsch pitures and 'artsy' black-and-white photos hanging on the walls. The only real difference was the color scheme. Where Starbucks went for friendly, earthy green, Full of Beans had opted for a warm, vibrant orange. Hell, it was a store practically designed for his energetic friend.

As usual, it was bustling with business and the queue was short, but consistent as new customers kept walking in the door, each time that irritating bell ringing their arrival. Lunch hour.

Sasuke hadn't chosen a good time. He walked past the line of people at a swift and sure pace. No one stopped him as he approached the counter, butting in next to a lady being served, but there were more than a few accusing stares.

"Ino." He greeted the girl standing at the counter. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail and she wore the standard orange apron over her fashionably put-together outfit.

She looked up, but her face showed no surprise. "Sasuke." She replied. "What are you doing here?"

As if she didn't know.

"I'm looking for Naruto. Is he here?"

Ino frowned, glancing at the line of customers distractedly. "Sorry, Sasuke. You just missed him."

The lady standing at the counter next to Ino gave Sasuke an icy glare.

Ino shot her a charming smile. "Hello, welcome to Full of Beans. What can I get for you?"

The lady patted her neatly permed dark curls. "I'll have a tall, skinny mocha."

Ino picked up a cup and started writing the order on it with a black marker. "Coming right up, ma`am."

"That's a load of bull." interrupted Sasuke, placing his hands on the counter. "He's in the back hiding, isn't he?"

Ino didn't look at him as she continued to write the order. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She turned and handed the paper cup to another barista. "Tall, skinny mocha."

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Whatever. You're just going to ignore me? I can wait here all day if I have to."

"Please wait over there for your order, ma'am." Ino said in a pleasant voice, gesturing to the counter where her order would be handed to the now extremely irritated-looking woman. She strode off in her crisp, blue pantsuit, shooting Sasuke another glare as she passed.

"Look, Sasuke." Said Ino, giving him her full attention at last. "As nice as it is having you voluntarily talking to me…even if it is just to talk about Naruto." she muttered the last part under her breath. "You're going to get me in trouble with my boss and you're making my customers very unhappy. If you want to talk to Naruto, then please just wait till Monday will you? Or at least a time when we don't have customers crawling all over the café."

Sasuke raised a dark brow. "So, Naruto _is_ here."

Ino bit her lip. "Just wait till Monday, will you? He doesn't want to talk to you. Take my advice and let him cool down, ok? Just this once, listen to me?"

Sasuke frowned. What did Ino know about any of this? This was between him and Naruto.

He clicked his tongue. "Fine. But you can tell him he _will_ be talking to me on Monday. Got that?"

Ino gave him a mock salute. "Aye aye, sir. Now, could you please get out of my line?"

Sasuke took a few reluctant steps back and could practically feel the ease in atmosphere as the grumpy people in the line relaxed. He shot them all a dirty look before exiting the café, slamming the door and making the bell rattle.

Stupid people. Waiting a few extra minutes wasn't the end of the world.

* * *

Ino heaved a sigh of relief as Sasuke exited. She turned to her fellow barista.

"Nagisa, can you take over for a second? I just need to pop into the back."

The dark-haired girl nodded and took over at the counter as Ino made her way through the swing door and into the back of the café. Naruto stood at a large metal industrial dishwasher. It hummed loudly as it cleaned the dishes and then stopped. He lifted the handle, pulling open the dishwasher to reveal the sparkling white mugs and saucers.

"Hey, Uzumaki. Your favorite person was just here." Ino said, coming up beside him.

Naruto paused in his work. "What did he want?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "To talk to you, of course."

"Did you-?" began Naruto.

"I told him you weren't here just like you asked me to even though he knew it was a big fat lie." Ino folded her arms. "You should just talk to him, you know. I think he wants to apologize."

Naruto gave a snort of derision. "Sasuke? Apologize? Yeah, right. Probably just wants to rub his superiority in my face again."

"Ugh." said Ino, pushing Naruto to one side and taking his place at the dishwasher. She began pulling out the plates. "You're worse than a married couple."

Naruto glowered. "We are _nothing_ like a married couple."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Uchiha." Ino replied with a smirk.

Naruto shot her a grumpy look.

"Anyway," she continued. "I have more than covered your ass today. I want some time back here. It's your turn to face the angry horde now that your husband has left the building."

Naruto scratched his head. "Yeah, thanks, Ino. I appreciate it."

"Don't worry." Ino said, her lips forming into a cunning smile. "I'll find a way for you to repay me sometime."

"Oh great. I should've realized nothing comes for free with you." replied Naruto, rolling his eyes. He shook his head and smiled as he made his way through the swing doors and into the bustling café.

Ino liked to pretend to be the mean girl type, but she was nice at heart. It was her that had gotten him this job, and she'd never asked for anything back. He grinned as he looked around the bustling café. It felt good to have an honest job. Iruka had protested, but he had wanted to support himself in some way. It felt weird to be living completely off of someone else's kindness, and over the past year he'd tried to find ways to help out at home as well as bring in a little of his own income.

He was lucky enough to enjoy this job. Customers were his domain, and today had customers galore with orders were coming in thick and fast.

Naruto plastered the '_super_-happy-to-see-you grin' on his face and took a place at the counter.

"Hello there, sir. Can I help you?"

The man returned the smile. Naruto had a knack of making almost every customer smile. It was his personal challenge. And this man's smile was toothpaste commercial perfect.

"I'll have a Grande Americano, please…Naruto, is it?"

Naruto picked up a paper cup and then froze, staring at the man. "How do you know my name?"

The man blinked as if taken by surprise for a moment, and then pointed at Naruto's chest. "Uh, it's on your name tag."

Naruto relaxed. _Of course._ He tried to calm his rapid heartbeat.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forget it's there sometimes. One Grand Americano coming right up. Please wait over there for your order."

The man nodded, smoothing back his slick white hair, and moved over to the next counter. Naruto swallowed and turned his gaze to the next customer, a short, dumpy woman who had clearly had one too many deluxe frappuccinos. He fixed the smile back on his face.

"Welcome. Can I help you?"

* * *

"Nice job as usual, Uzumaki." said Ayame as she untied her apron and pulled her brown hair out of its usual tight ponytail.

"Thanks, boss lady." Replied Naruto with a cheeky grin.

Her eyebrow twitched. "I told you not to call me that. It's 'Evil Boss Lady' around here."

Naruto widened his eyes in mock fear. "So sorry, Evil Boss Lady. I'll make sure to say it right next time."

She grinned. "You do that. Now get out of here before I dock your pay for loitering. The rest of the staff are already long gone."

Naruto threw a quick salute. "Yes, Evil Boss Lady. Anything you say, Evil Boss Lady."

He rushed to the door with a smile, but the grin faded as he left the café, stepping out into the fresh evening air. The light on the horizon was already beginning to fade.

He tried to put the man in the café out of his mind. For the man it must have been nothing more than quick banter, but for Naruto…well, his heart still pounded a little faster when he thought about it. It had been some time since Orochimaru and his followers had been put away, the entire mafia-like organization disbanded and in ruin thanks to himself and Sasuke. But even now, a year later, Naruto found himself paranoid when walking down the streets or when meeting new people. Sometimes he would find himself looking around the café, trying to spot any potential agents of Orochimaru, people just waiting for that right moment to get him alone and kill him - to pay him back for the trouble he had caused.

Naruto shivered despite the warm Spring weather, his eyes darting around at the shadows lengthening in the light of the setting sun. Iruka had offered running him to and from his part-time job, but Naruto had refused. Iruka already did him enough kindnesses. These days he considered himself lucky just to have a roof over his head and a door that wasn't locked when he got home.

Naruto pulled the zip up higher on his green hoody and dug his hands into his pockets. He really needed to stop letting people get to him. He glanced over his shoulder automatically when he heard a noise. A cat ran out of an alleyway shooting him an accusing stare as if _he_ was the one being suspicious. Naruto mentally berated himself. It was time for Uzumaki Resolution No. 1. From now on, he would stop being so freaking paranoid. And maybe, just maybe he could start sleeping at night without the nightmares…

* * *

Monday mornings. Usually the weekends flashed by, but this time it had dragged for Sasuke. He yanked his locker door open. The annoying thing always stuck slightly. Seriously, someone needed to invest in some new lockers in this school. They'd probably been here since the 1960s. Sasuke shoved some books inside. They fell into the back of the locker with a bang.

"You seem to be venting some frustrations, Uchiha."

Sasuke turned. Shikamaru was standing by his own locker, casually putting away his own books from history period.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Shikamaru was a pain in the ass when he talked voluntarily.

"I heard about your tiff with Uzumaki. Has his success with Sakura finally brought out your inner green monster?"

Sasuke shot him a flat look. "I'll tell you the same thing I told him. I have zero interest in Sakura Haruno."

Shikamaru's mouth quirked slightly, the closest he generally came to a smile. He closed his locker and leaned against it, observing Sasuke from under hooded lids.

"I wasn't suggesting you did. I figured you were jealous of Sakura."

Sasuke raised a brow. Intriguing. "Why would I be jealous of her?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Because she's taking the position you want – as the most important person in Naruto's life."

Sasuke almost choked. "Excuse me?"

Ok, that was not what he expected to hear.

"Are you insinuating that I – that me and Naruto –" He broke off, fighting the hot embarrassment that threatened to crawl up his neck and cover his face with a red tinge.

The ridiculousness of the concept was almost beyond comprehension.

He stared at Shikamaru. "Are you high?"

Shikamaru remained unperturbed. "Well, looking at the situation logically, can you think of any other reason for your reaction last week?"

Sasuke felt his composure return as the initial shock faded.

"I'm just looking out for him. I'm the one who's going to have to deal with the emotional fallout when all this blows up in his face. He doesn't think about that."

He turned back to his locker and pulled out some pens, putting them in his bag.

"And what if it does work out?" asked Shikamaru.

Sasuke froze. Shikamaru closed his eyes, relaxing his head back against the locker.

"Have you considered that possibility?"

Sasuke frowned, turning back around. "Don't be stupid. You and I both know that isn't going to happen."

Shikamaru stretched his arms and yawned. "I don't know. Sakura seems pretty serious about giving him a chance."

He cracked an eye open and looked at Sasuke, amusement coloring his tone. "Why? Does that bother you?"

Sasuke was not going to let this guy get to him. He looked away and glared at the wall. "Not in the slightest."

This was a truly pointless conversation.

"Are you sure about that, Uchiha?" asked Shikamaru. "Maybe they become high school sweethearts. Naruto follows her to college. They graduate, get married. Before you know it, little Sakura and Naruto babies are running around."

Sasuke turned and pulled out his last few books. Was this supposed to get to him? He looked back at Shikamaru calmly. "You and I both know that won't happen."

Shikamaru shrugged and pushed himself away from the lockers, standing up straight. "Perhaps not. But if not with Sakura, then probably some other girl. I've heard Hinata's had a crush on him for a long time. In fact, a lot of the girls are starting to pay attention. Now that he's not considered the scum of Konoha, they're beginning to pick up on the fact that he's not a bad-looking guy."

Sasuke smirked. "Sounds like you're the one with the hots for Uzumaki yourself. Sure you're not projecting?"

Shikamaru looked up at the ceiling as if praying to God to give him someone less dense to talk with. "I'm just giving you the information you need to hear, Uchiha."

Sasuke's smirk faded and he folded his arms. "And what? This is supposed to make me jealous in your twisted little theory?"

"No one can _make_ you jealous. You either are or you aren't. I'm just saying that after school, there's going to be a whole college of girls out there. I hope you weren't expecting it to be the two of you forever."

"Don't be stupid. I'm not so pathetic or naïve."

Shikamaru dug his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. "All right then." He said. "Well, I have to go to class. See you later." He gave a brief wave as he walked away.

Sasuke waited until Shikamaru was around the corner before slamming his locker door shut. Hard.

The stupid thing always stuck anyway. It bugged the hell out of him. And stupid Shikamaru with his insane theories didn't exactly improve his mood. That guy was always bad news.

He glared at the door. Faded chips of red paint still lingered on the metal, a reminder of the days when Naruto had been despised. Someone had spray-painted 'Monster' across the panels, catching some of Sasuke's locker too. He'd cleaned it. He'd cleaned them both. His and Naruto's. Why had he done that? They hadn't even been friends at the time.

Sasuke leaned his head forward against the locker. No, this was stupid. Shikamaru was just up to his usual manipulative tricks, trying to put weird thoughts in his head. There was absolutely no way he-

"What are you doing?"

Sasuke's head snapped up. Naruto was holding his book bag, his expression stony. Clearly, the Uchiha was not yet forgiven.

"Nothing." was Sasuke's genius reply.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Forget I asked."

He began stuffing his books into his own locker, pulling out the ones he needed for next period. Sasuke watched him. Naruto's body was tense, his blonde hair mussed up and faint dark circles lingered under his eyes. Was that his fault?

"Look," he began. "Naruto, I wanted to…talk about the other day."

Naruto didn't even turn to look at him, continuing to sort out his books. He gave a noncommittal grunt.

Well, this was going well.

Sasuke bit back the sarcastic words that threatened to run off the tip of his tongue.

"I…was out of line."

"Tell me something I don't know." replied Naruto.

Irritation welled up in Sasuke. "Can you at least look at me when I'm trying to apologize?"

Finally, Naruto met his gaze only to reveal eyes filled with anger and hurt. Any annoyance Sasuke felt evaporated in an instant. He sighed. "I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean a lot of what I said. I was just…"

_What was he?_

He cleared his throat. "I was in a bad mood and I took it out on you."

Naruto's expression softened slightly. "Yeah, well, you should try controlling your temper once in a while, Uchiha."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Yeah? Good coming from you."

Once again the words were out before the brain had kicked into gear, but rather than snapping, Naruto flashed a rueful grin. He shut his locker door.

"Yeah, fair enough. I wasn't exactly Mr. Cool-head myself." He wrinkled his nose. "But seriously, you have this annoying way of getting under my skin. You really know how to piss me off, Uchiha."

Images of Naruto's tan skin filled Sasuke's mind and he quickly looked away. Damn Shikamaru.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, you're not exactly helping me become the next Dalai Lama either."

Naruto snorted. "You're the last person on earth who could become the next Dalai Lama."

Sasuke smirked. "That, and orange isn't really my color."

Naruto grinned. "You sound like a girl."

"You look like a girl." Replied Sasuke without missing a beat. He began walking up the hallway.

"Well…your face is a girl." Came Naruto's retort as he followed after.

"Great comeback, genius."

"Your face is a genius. No…wait…"

Sasuke hid a smile as the blond beside him racked his brains for a better insult. This was back to normal, how things were supposed to be, and no stupid words from a guy projecting his own gay feelings onto Sasuke was going to change his and Naruto's friendship, no matter how dysfunctional.

* * *

**AN: **Oh, Sasuke. How can you be so intelligent and yet so incredibly stupid?


	4. The Dawning

**AN:** Once again, thank you so much for reviews! I adore you people. Hitting the 50 mark already makes me so happy! You are all awesome, just so you know. I've realized that I'm so in love with writing that I could cry. You've no idea how happy it makes me to have discovered the thing I love most. By the way, I accidentally put the Red Storm chapter into Cloud Cover, so if you got an update saying there was a new chapter for the prequel, it was an accident, sorry (I deleted it).

Anyway, I should warn you I have committed the cardinal sin of mentioning Twilight in this chapter. I absolutely detest Twilight (sorry to those who like it), so I am currently hating myself slightly, but I just couldn't help it. It came out and fit so well. Anyway, enjoy. :)

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 4: The Dawning

_"We have to allow ourselves to be loved by the people who really love us, the people who really matter. Too much of the time, we are blinded by our own pursuits of people to love us, people that don't even matter, while all that time we waste and the people who do love us have to stand on the sidewalk and watch us beg in the streets! It's time to put an end to this. It's time for us to let ourselves be loved." _

_~C. JoyBell C.  
__  
_

* * *

Naruto swallowed and pressed the doorbell. There was the sound of movement inside the semi-detached suburban house and a lady with short auburn hair opened the door. She smiled once she saw Naruto, her gentle eyes crinkling slightly, showing the makings of some early crow's feet.

"You must be Naruto. Sakura's just coming." said the woman.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Ah yeah, nice to meet you, and you must be Sakura's sister."

The woman gave a small chuckle. "You're a charmer. Keep that up and you'll go far."

She turned as Sakura approached the door. The young girl was wearing a soft green dress with simple straps and a small white feather dangling on a silver chain. It complimented her pastel pink hair. She looked beautiful, even more radiant than usual.

Naruto swallowed again. Man, he felt so nervous. His hands were clammy and his legs were like jelly. Still, he stretched his mouth into what he hoped was a confident smile.

"You look great, Sakura."

Sakura returned the smile, and Naruto couldn't help feeling grateful that she looked pretty nervous too. "Thanks, Naruto. You've scrubbed up pretty well yourself."

Naruto laughed, glancing down at his own black t-shirt and jeans, a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Ah, well, you know. It's easy for guys. We just throw on any old thing on."

He felt himself redden at the lie. He'd actually spent ages changing his clothes, trying desperately to pull off that cool, effortless, bad-boy look that Sasuke always seemed to be able to achieve without even trying.

"Well, you look nice." said Sakura with a smile.

Sakura's mom patted her daughter's shoulder. "Well, you two kids have fun. Be back before 10 though, please. Take care of her, Naruto."

"Mom…" groaned Sakura in embarrassment.

Naruto threw a salute. "Of course, Mrs. Haruno. I'll protect her no matter what."

Sakura shot him a look of irritation as she joined him on the front steps. "You don't have to go that far. It's just a date."

Naruto grinned. He felt his chest swell.

Yes. It was a date. A date with Sakura Haruno.

* * *

"So, what movie do you want to watch?" Naruto stood beside Sakura, shifting his feet as she stared up at the movie listings. So far, they hadn't talked a lot. He couldn't think of much to say, and the conversation had been a bit awkward and forced. Man, he couldn't wait to get into the movie. Then maybe they could relax a little, and it would give him time to try and think of some questions to ask her after. Maybe make a romantic atmosphere…get a goodnight kiss? He gulped. He couldn't blow this.

"I don't know. What do you think, Naruto?" Sakura turned her beautiful green eyes on him and he just stared for a moment before tearing his gaze away and looking up at the listings.

"Um, I don't know. It's your call. What kind of movies do you like?"

Sakura shrugged. "Romance I guess, or dramas. I like romantic comedies too. Oo, what about that one? It looks fun."

She pointed at a poster of an odd-looking Korean movie, a brown-eyed pretty girl was making an oddly seductive face while the tall man next to her smiled charmingly.

"Or there's the new Twilight movie."

She pointed at the most recent installment of the hated series. Naruto's eyes flicked between the two movie posters.

"Uh, whatever you prefer, Sakura."

Sakura frowned. "You're allowed to watch something you want to watch too, Naruto."

Naruto grinned. "I'm happy with whatever we watch as long as I get to sit next to you."

Sakura gave a huff of frustration, but a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Fine. Let's go see the Korean movie. I know you hate Twilight."

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as she began to walk over to the counter. "No, I know you love that series. Let's go watch it."

She gave him a doubtful look. "You don't have to."

"Seriously, it's fine. We're watching it." He said in a firm voice and walked over to the counter, laying down two 10 dollar notes. "Two for the Twilight, please."

The assistant at the desk shot him a look of commiseration as he printed out the ticket and handed it over. Naruto ignored it. There was no need to pity him. He was on a date with the prettiest girl since springtime.

* * *

"Aaah, that was so romantic." said Sakura with a sigh as they left the movie theater. "Edward was so cool."

Naruto tried not to let the comment get to him even though it felt like a sharp stab in his side. He dug his hands into his jeans pockets. He didn't get it. The guy had spent the whole movie giving mixed signals and treating the girl coldly, yet it had just drawn the girl in more, and Sakura had loved it. Was that how he was supposed to be? Was that what girls wanted? The cold guy whose heart slowly melts? That must be why Sasuke was so annoyingly popular at school.

Sakura turned to look at him as she walked down the street beside him. "You ok, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded and flashed her a grin. "Definitely."

"I know you don't like those kinds of movies so much."

Naruto smiled at her. "Hey, I'm happy because I got to spend time with you." He rubbed the back of his head. "Um, you wanna go and get an ice cream?"

Sakura lowered her eyes, staring at the sidewalk as they continued along the street. "I'd better get home. My mom said I had to be back before ten, you know?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Oh yeah, I didn't realize it was so late, and I definitely don't want your parents to hate me. Let's head home."

He changed direction and together they crossed the street, making their way back to Sakura's house. It was a bit of a walk, but the evening brought a warm scent – the makings of early summer which made the atmosphere all the more pleasant.

Naruto cleared his throat. "I wanted to say, Sakura, I'm really glad you agreed to go on a date with me."

Sakura gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I had a nice time."

An inner glow warmed Naruto's heart and he grinned.

Spring was decidedly an awesome season.

They remained quiet for most of the walk home, but all too soon they arrived at Sakura's house. She stopped at her front steps and looked up at Naruto.

Naruto wanted so badly to lean in for a kiss. His heart was pumping and he clenched his fingers as he stared into her eyes. Sakura broke the gaze looking away.

"Well, this is me, so…"

Naruto summoned up his last vestiges of courage. "So, uh, I was thinking…on Saturday maybe we could go to the mall."

She sighed. "You know, I said I couldn't make any promises though, right? This is just…"

"I know." Naruto broke in. "I just, I'm glad you're giving me a chance, and if it turns out you're not interested, I'll understand and stuff. But yeah…it was just fun spending time with you. You can't base everything on one date right? So let's go to the mall and just have fun. No pressures."

Sakura glanced back up at him. "Naruto, I'm not sure. I don't want to lead you on and I'm still not sure that I-"

Then Naruto did the bold move that he never thought he would have the courage to. If this was what girls wanted it's what he would do. He cupped her cheek and lifted her gaze to meet his. Swallowing, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. They were so soft – petal cherry lips. When he pulled back Sakura was staring at him in shock.

"Did you just…?"

Panic coursed through Naruto. "I- I'm sorry. I got carried away! I'm so sorry, Sakura. I won't ever do it again!"

Sakura frowned and looked away. "No, it's ok…I think. I don't know. I'm just…confused."

Naruto's heart leapt in his chest. "Really? So…we'll meet up on Saturday?"

Sakura swallowed, her pale throat bobbing. "Ok, but don't get your hopes up, ok, Uzumaki? I'm still not making any promises."

"No problem, Sakura! I'll be a rock of non-hopefulness." He grinned at her.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ok, now get out of here, you loudmouth."

Naruto saluted and turned to walk down the path. "Whatever milady says."

Sakura shook her head as she went back inside, closing the door behind her.

On the other side of the door, she touched a single finger to her lips.

* * *

_The Next Day_

A towel flew across the room and landed on the head of the blond teen gazing out the window. He gave a muffled yell and yanked it off. Naruto looked up to see Neji smirking at him, Kiba standing at his side with an evil grin marking his mischievous features, and Sasuke leaning against one of the desks, staring boredly at the blackboard.

"Are you coming to soccer practice today or are you going to sit daydreaming all day, Uzumaki?" asked Neji.

"I bet I can guess what he's dreaming about." added Kiba. "Oooh, Sakura, my loooove."

He started making smoochy noises.

Naruto stood up and punched him in the shoulder, an embarrassed grin plastering his face. "Shut up."

"Whatever. Let's just go and get changed already or we're going to be late." Sasuke said, standing up and making his way out of the classroom.

Kiba slung an arm around Naruto's shoulder as they walked along the school hallway.

"Sooo, Uzumaki. Spill. How did your big date go? Did you woo the sweet Sakura with your manly charms?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It wasn't like that."

Kiba's smirked. "So...she friendzoned you and dumped you after one date, huh?"

"No. We're going out again." replied Naruto. He couldn't help the happy grin that spread across his face.

"Nice one, Uzumaki." said Kiba in surprise.

"Congratulations, Naruto." said Neji, nodding at him. He opened the door to the changing rooms and they all walked in. Neji began tying his long smooth hair into a pony tail.

"Looks like we're the last here." He swiftly began to change into his soccer kit, the other boys following his lead.

"So where are you going to take her?" asked Kiba, pulling his shirt over his head and mussing up his spiky hair. He looked like a wild dog with that mischievous grin and those pointed teeth.

Naruto pulled on his soccer shorts. "To the mall. We're headed there on Saturday."

"Good choice. Lots to do there. Now if I were you-"

"Are you all going to stand gossiping like a bunch of girls, or are you going to play some soccer?"

Sasuke stood waiting at the entrance to the hallway leading out onto the soccer pitch. His arms were folded and his mouth was set in a scowl.

"Alright, mate. Don't get your knickers in a twist. We're coming." replied Kiba, yanking on his soccer boots.

Naruto quickly followed suit.

* * *

Neji raised a brow as he walked past the Uchiha. "Something bothering you?"

"I'm fine." replied Sasuke shortly, his eyes focused on Naruto as he laced up his shoes. "They're just being slow."

Neji nodded and hid a smile. "If you say so."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Hyuuga wasn't in on this little conspiracy theory too, was he? Or was Sasuke just being paranoid? He glared over at Naruto as he stood up, his blond hair falling into his eyes. He pushed it out the way and grinned at Sasuke, his eyes lighting up. Sasuke swallowed. This was ridiculous. Shikamaru had gotten into his head way too much. He pressed his fingers into his palm in an attempt to settle his thoughts. It helped…a little.

Neji and Kiba walked ahead as Naruto caught up with them, falling into step beside Sasuke.

"Who shat on your sandwich today?" the blond asked the grumpy teen beside him.

"No one." replied Sasuke, his tone flat. "Gai will be wondering where we are."

Naruto laughed. "That guy will probably be running laps with the team for the next 30 minutes anyway. It doesn't matter."

Sasuke said nothing for a few moments. The breeze from outside filtered through the open doors at the end of the corridor, flicking strands of hair into his face. He pushed them out of the way.

"So, your date went well, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so." Naruto's face stretched into a grin, his white teeth an odd contrast to the tan skin, the skin so warm in tone when compared to Sasuke's pale pallor. He looked down unconsciously at his own pale arm.

"What did you do?"

Naruto clasped his hands around the back of his head and looked up happily at the ceiling. "We went to see a shitty movie. It was terrible, but we got to talk and get to know each other a bit, so it's all good. Then I walked her home."

Sasuke blinked in the sunshine as they stepped out onto the soccer pitch, his shoes sinking slightly into the soft turf. He turned his gaze back to Naruto.

"You just went to see a movie? You didn't go anywhere else?"

Naruto raised a brow. "Isn't that enough?" He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips as he stared up at the clouds. "Well, we did do _one_ other thing."

Sasuke frowned. "What did you-"

"Ah, my wonderful stars have arrived at last to bring in the new Summer season! " Gai stood before them, hands on the waist of his glaring green 'exercise' outfit. "Welcome! Let's be strong and exercise with our full strength today!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. Why did this man have to be the coach of all people? And why did he have to interrupt now?

It didn't matter, he thought as the blond walked away from him to begin his stretches. He could always ask him later.

* * *

"What a youthful soccer practice, my exceptional Spring Blossoms!" cried Gai, stretching out his arms as if to embrace his students. The few boys standing closest to him edged a few steps back. Naruto smiled widely and wiped his sweating brow. He was at a safe distance from the frightening, green-suited soccer coach.

"Go and enjoy your refreshing showers," continued Gai, "and I'll see you next week for more wonderful, manly activities."

Kiba jogged up to Naruto's side as they followed the other students off the pitch. "Geez, he even manages to make soccer sound weird and perverted."

Naruto grinned. "Could you imagine if he actually got a girlfriend, the stuff he'd say to her?"

Kiba shivered as they walked into the locker room. "Ugh. Don't even go there. I don't want to imagine Gai's pillow talk."

They sat down on the benches and began changing out of their kits. Naruto pulled off his dirty black soccer boots. The studs had picked up some mud from the soft pitch outside. He banged the shoes against the bench.

"You're creating a mess," said a sullen voice.

Naruto looked up. Sasuke stood nearby, pulling his clothing from a locker. He glanced meaningfully at the dirt that had flaked off the soles of the shoes and onto the floor.

Naruto shrugged. "That's the point - to get the mud off my shoes."

"You could at least do it over a trash can."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "This place gets cleaned like every day. Not everyone is as anal as you about a few drops of dirt on the floor."

"Whatever," said Sasuke. He turned away, taking off his shirt and as Naruto glared at his back. He was struck by just how pale Sasuke's skin was. It was moonlight white, utterly perfect, not a scar or blemish marring the skin just like that stupid vampire in that stupid movie.

_Bastard._

Kiba stood in front of him, blocking his vision in all his towel-wrapped glory...or lack thereof. "You not taking a shower, Uzumaki?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to head home as is and take a shower there." said Naruto, standing up and stuffing his school clothes into his bag.

"Suit yourself." Kiba headed toward the white tiled doorway. Steam was already pouring from the opening as most of the team was already inside showering.

"That's a shame you won't be joining us today," said a silky voice uncomfortably close to Naruto's ear.

Naruto jumped up with a rather unmanly squeal as he felt a hand touch his lower back. He turned round and glared at the culprit.

"How many times do I have to tell you to fuck _off_, Sai?"

Sai stood before him fully naked apart from the small white towel around his waist, preserving his dignity. He smiled a cat-like grin although it didn't reach his pitch-black eyes. "Apparently, just once more, and one more time after that, and one more time after that, and one more time after-"

"Alright, I get the fucking point," said Naruto, cutting him off.

Naruto seriously wanted to punch this idiot in the face. Ever since he'd joined the team as a reserve sub, he'd made life in the locker room unbearable, hitting on Naruto every chance he got. That was the main reason he'd stopped changing and showering here. The guy was just too creepy.

Sai shrugged and moved closer, walking around the bench so that Naruto had to take a few steps back to maintain a comfortable distance.

"What can I say?" he said. "After sharing such a passionate kiss, how can I help wanting more?"

Naruto felt the heat bloom on his face. Would this guy ever shut up about that party? It had been over a year. Not only did he keep bringing it up when they were alone, but he liked to drop heavy-loaded hints in front of the rest of the team.

"For the last time, I was drunk and you were a perv. There was no 'passion'. None. Got that? There's no point in thinking about it, and there's definitely no need to tell anyone."

The blond felt the cold metal of the locker hit his back as he retreated another step and still Sai advanced, closing the gap between them. He put a hand up next to Naruto's head, licking his soft, pale lips. "But there could be."

Naruto swallowed. Ok, this needed to stop. It really needed to stop. It wasn't funny anymore.

The arm was yanked away by a pale hand, and Sai was pushed back a few steps.

"Back the fuck off, Sai," said Sasuke in a warning tone. He glared at the irritating doppelganger, standing between him and Naruto.

Sai smiled. "Oh, sorry, Uchiha," He said, not sounding at all sorry. "I didn't realize I was encroaching on your territory."

"He's _not_ my territory," said Sasuke scathingly at the same time that Naruto practically yelled. "I'm _not_ his territory!"

Sai put up his hands. "Ok, sorry. I didn't realize I was hitting on your boyfriend then."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Naruto turned bright red and moved out from behind Sasuke who was blocking his way. "I'm not his fucking boyfriend, you pervert. If anything, I'm Sakura's."

Sasuke jerked his head round to look at Naruto. "Since when?"

Sai raised a brow. "Oh really? It's a bit early to be saying that, don't you think? You haven't even shared your first kiss yet, unlike us."

Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, I'm not her boyfriend yet, but...I could be...and...and that's all you know, 'cos yes, we have."

He was startled as he felt a hand grab his shoulder roughly, and looked round to find Sasuke glaring at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

He shoved the hand off his shoulder. "I'm talking about last night."

Sasuke expression darkened. "You never mentioned that."

Naruto frowned. "I figured Sakura wouldn't want me to advertise it, but," he grinned a huge grin. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt to say, at the end of the date we kissed, and it was totally awesome."

Sasuke didn't say anything, just staring and Naruto shifted under his gaze, unsure of what to say. Wasn't this supposed to be a good thing? He was finally progressing beyond the friendzone with Sakura. Shouldn't Sasuke be happy for him?

The tension was broken by Sai as he smiled and shrugged. "Well, if it doesn't work out, you know you can always give me a call. See you around, dickless."

Naruto's eye twitched at the nickname, and Sai walked away in the direction of the showers, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone.

Naruto scowled and muttered after the perverted boy, "If it doesn't work out, you'll be the last one I call, you weirdo."

His face brightened and he turned to Sasuke. "But it will work out, eh, Sasuke? That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Sakura and I are meant to be toge-"

"Stop talking," said Sasuke. He was frozen in place, not having moved throughout the whole last part of the exchange, an odd look on his face.

"Stop saying what? What're you-?"

The strangely shocked look turned to anger and he glared at Naruto. "Just stop talking for once in your life, will you?"

Naruto's face darkened. "What's your fucking problem?"

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. His eyes were darting around, looking everywhere but at Naruto. "Look. Nothing. I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Go? Go where?" started Naruto, but Sasuke was already stuffing his soccer kit into his bag and walking away.

"Well, am I still coming round to your place after school or what?" Naruto yelled after him.

Sasuke waved without looking back.

"Sulky bi-polar bastard," muttered Naruto, shouldering his own backpack and heading out of the opposite exit of the locker room. Once he got home and showered he was going to kick that sullen bastard's ass at Tekken.

* * *

Sasuke's head was spinning. He broke into a run once he was out of sight from Naruto, his shoes squeaking on the shiny linoleum floor. He had to get away, get somewhere he could think. His feet seemed to know where he was going before he did and he was mildly surprised to find himself back out on the big, empty soccer pitch. Heavy, gray clouds scudded across the late afternoon sky creating dreary shadows on the turf and an overcast pallor to the otherwise temperate day.

Sasuke ran over to one of the bleachers and sank down onto it, putting his head in his hands. This couldn't be true. It couldn't. He felt sick, actually, physically sick, and the words replayed in his head over and over and over.

_I'm Sakura's boyfriend. …we kissed…we kissed…_

A shockwave had shot through him at those words and the realization hit him like a thunderbolt. This wasn't Shikamaru's manipulation nor a game. It was nothing like that. What Shikamaru had said was true. No one was making him feel this and no one could make this sick feeling go through him - that feeling as if the bottom had dropped out of his world when Naruto spoke those words.

"It's true." He murmured to himself, biting his lip and looking up at the gray clouds. A few splashes of rain fell down onto his face as the clouds got ready to let loose, and the words were uttered into the subdued air.

"I like Naruto Uzumaki."


	5. Worlds of Illusion

**AN: [edit ]I'm sorry, lovelies! I accidentally posted this chapter twice. There's no chapter 6 at this point in time.**

Hello, my delicious morsels of loveliness. As usual, it is wonderful to hear your feedback and reviews. I adore you. :) This chapter was a monster to write because I had to plan really far ahead to see where everything is going (good news is that means I've gotten to grips with the plot more, bad news is it's hard to write everything correctly so much in advance!). I wanted to push things to go faster, but I've realized, screw it, I'm going to let it go at the pace it wants. So here we go.

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 5: Worlds of Illusion

"Even as your body betrays you, your mind denies it."

~Sara Gruen

* * *

"Well. Fuck." Sasuke said to his reflection in the mirror. He had stayed out on those bleachers for who knows how long while it poured and then walked home in the rain. Now he was completely soaked. His sodden clothes clung to his body and his black bangs were plastered down against his forehead.

"Fuck." He repeated, glaring at his reflection as if saying the word would somehow change the situation. His reflection mouthed the same word silently, meeting his eyes with an accusing stare. He pushed back the dark tendrils sticking to his face.

How was this even possible? When had he, Sasuke Uchiha, started liking such an idiot?

He started peeling off his clothes, throwing them into the brown laundry basket in the corner, and climbed into the clean, white shower. He turned on the stream, letting the warm water cascade over him and relaxed his tense shoulders, basking in the heat.

Strangely, it didn't even bother him that he was for all intents and purposes gay. Or rather, when he thought about it, he couldn't really consider himself gay. He'd never been interested in _anyone _before.

"Just Naruto." he sighed. The water ran between his lips as he spoke.

How could this have happened? He found himself replaying every interaction he could remember, from first meeting the hyperactive blond to the unexplainable things he'd done to help him to this very day where they never seemed to be apart. It had never occurred to him to question any of this, but now that he thought about it…well…crap.

He pushed back his hair and picked up the shampoo, squirting it into his palm and massaging the liquid into his head until it foamed.

It was obvious now that he'd liked Naruto for a long time…maybe since the beginning without even knowing it. It would explain all his weird actions. Naruto had gotten under his skin and wormed his way into his life where no one else had been able to, not even Kakashi, and he'd lived with that irritating man as his guardian for years before taking the first chance to move out.

Sasuke leaned his head back into the hot jet of water, letting it wash away the chemicals from his hair.

The question now was, what was he going to do?

He let out a huff of frustration, water spraying from his lips.

_Ignore it_.

That's what he would do. He just had to ignore it. This was a temporary feeling, a mere crush. It would pass.

Sasuke was wakened from his musings by the loud, jarring sound of the front doorbell. He switched off the shower and froze, listening.

The doorbell sounded again…and again, impatiently.

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. Only one person rang the bell in that annoying manner.

_Naruto._

Great. The last person Sasuke wanted to see right now. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off as fast as he could before wrapping it around his waist. He hesitated. It wasn't like Naruto hadn't seen him in a towel a million times before, but now it felt…odd.

The doorbell rang insistently again. This time Naruto seemed to be playing the '_Frere Jacque'_ song with it, the bell buzzing with the beat.

Sasuke's eye twitched. That moron. Seriously, he liked _this _idiot? Was his brain defective in some way? He couldn't help thinking God had played some kind of cruel joke on him as he left the bathroom, jogged down the stairs and yanked open the front door.

Naruto Uzumaki stood before him in all his idiotic glory, a bag slung over his shoulder, and a pearly white grin stretched across his tan face. The sun was being cruel enough to shine from behind him, bringing out the golden tints of his spiky blond hair. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark green t-shirt complimented by his favorite orange hoody. The moron hardly ever seemed to take it off, yet the clothing couldn't seem to hide the toned muscles of his arms, the breadth of his chest.

Sasuke swallowed. He felt like he was seeing his friend for the first time, and he realized what he had never seemed to realize before (and what the girls of his school must have noticed long before him) - Naruto was fucking handsome.

He groaned inwardly. Great, he was already thinking like a girl. This wasn't good.

"What do you want, Uzumaki?" he asked, shooting his friend a glare in the hopes it would hide the sheer awkwardness he felt.

Naruto, the ever-unobservant, shrugged and actually shoved past him, entering the house. "We were going to study together, remember? Plus, I've decided I have to beat your ass at Tekken for acting like a bi-polar asshat earlier."

Naruto paused inside the hallway where Sasuke stood, still holding the open door. He finally turned to look at Sasuke properly, scanning him up and down. Sasuke felt extremely self-conscious. He knew he should have taken the time to change and just have made this stupid moron wait.

"Why are you in a towel?"

Sasuke's eye twitched. "Because I was taking a shower when you interrupted me, moron. Can't you see I'm busy? We can study tomorrow."

Naruto threw up his arms. "But we have the quiz in history tomorrow. It's Ibiki. Fucking Ibiki, man! If I don't study tonight, you know I'll get detention for a week!"

Sasuke shut the front door with a sigh. "Well, you should have thought of that weeks ago when he announced it."

He jumped as Naruto grabbed his shoulders and looked desperately into his eyes.

"You gotta help me! You're my only hope."

Again Sasuke swallowed. This was normal, right? This was normal interaction between them. He, Sasuke, standing here in a towel and Naruto grabbing him by his bare shoulders. He glanced at Naruto's mouth as he spoke and suddenly found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss those coral lips. That thought terrified him more than anything, and he pushed Naruto away.

"Fine. Just get off me." He said and made his way up the stairs as fast as he could whilst still preserving his dignity, and trying desperately to hide his rapidly reddening face.

Naruto grinned, completely unaware of the effect he'd just had.

"Great."

* * *

Sasuke returned from the bathroom fully dressed in jeans and t-shirt, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He paused in the doorway to see Naruto lying prone on his stomach across Sasuke's bed, frowning hard at the history book in front of him as if it was written in hieroglyphics rather than English. His orange hoody had been cast aside onto the floor.

Sasuke couldn't help noting the tan arms that were now on show under Naruto's green t-shirt.

He swallowed as an image of Naruto lying under him sprung to mind, his blue eyes staring up in surprise as Sasuke pinned down those tan arms. He blinked hard, willing it away.

Forcing down the inappropriate thoughts, Sasuke walked quickly over to his desk, settling down in the wheeled chair.

Ugh, it was like his mind was a sadist that enjoyed torturing him, popping random ideas into his head that he most definitely did not want to be thinking about. He took a deep breath and laid out his own homework book on the wooden surface – Ibiki had them reading _Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire_ these days. When he talked in class, the teacher almost sounded like he admired that warlord.

Sasuke stared at the title page, trying to concentrate, but it was nigh impossible. Every fiber of his being felt electric, fully aware of the presence over in the corner, and the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end every time he heard Naruto move on the bed. He put his face in his hands, covering his eyes and willing himself to stop thinking perverted things. Seriously? Was _this_ what it was like to like someone? You become an inappropriate creeper? Or was this just him?

Sasuke almost jumped out of his skin as he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Aaah!" he yelled, spinning round on the desk chair to find Naruto looking surprised. Usually, the teen would have reveled in getting such a reaction out of the usually stoic Uchiha, but he must have been too shocked.

"Whoa, sorry, Sasuke." He said. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

_Hard. _

If this had been a cartoon, Sasuke would have sweatdropped right there.

"Nothing." He replied quickly. "What do you want? Why aren't you studying?"

…_silently_. He added as a kind of prayer to whomever might be listening.

Naruto frowned. "It's too hard. I don't even know where to begin."

Sasuke sighed and looked at the ceiling in despair. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Uzumaki. If you study, you learn, and then things actually start to make sense."

Naruto folded his arms and glared at him. "I fucking know that, thanks, genius. But can't you give me a few pointers? You know, like the most important parts I should look at, or maybe some notes?"

He moved closer, looking over Sasuke at the other teen's copy of the history book on the desk. Sasuke found himself faced with Naruto's flat stomach, covered by the thin material of his green shirt.

_Too close._

He stood up quickly out of the chair, taking a step away from Naruto.

"If you want to look at my book, take it, just leave me alone." He said.

Naruto frowned, reaching over for the book. "Geez, what's your problem today?"

"I'm trying to study is my problem, and you're…" He raked a hand through his hair, avoiding Naruto's eyes. "…distracting me."

Great. Could he be acting any more awkward?

Naruto scratched his arm, thinking. "Well, I'm trying to study too…I just…don't know where to start."

Sasuke sighed and was about to toss out an insult about Naruto's general stupidity when a thought struck him.

"If I help you study, will you leave after, so I can do my own homework in peace?"

Naruto shrugged. "Fine. If you want to hermit that badly."

Sasuke felt his tense shoulders relax ever so slightly. Ok, he just had to make a study plan, show Naruto where to start and he'd be out of his hair.

Naruto walked over to his books and sank down onto the floor, propping his back against the side of the bed. He opened his own copy of _Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire,_ and Sasuke sat down opposite, cross-legged, creating as much distance between them as possible without it being weird.

"Ok," he said. "First thing you have to do is make a timeline. Put the most important dates on there and memorize them."

Naruto nodded. He grabbed a blank sheet of paper.

"Ok, I can do that." He bit at the end of his pencil and looked up. "So…what are the most important dates?"

Sasuke stared at him. "Have you even opened this book?"

"Yeah, of course I have" replied Naruto, "…a couple of times…maybe."

Sasuke groaned inwardly. This was going to take forever.

"Fine. I'll read out the dates and you write them on the timeline."

"Great." said Naruto enthusiastically, drawing a long line across the piece of paper. He looked up, flashing Sasuke a grin. "Thanks, man."

Sasuke gritted his teeth.

_He is an idiot. He is an idiot. That smile is not attractive. He is an idiot._

He might have just taken a shower, but a cold one was sounding pretty good right about now.

* * *

"What was that date?" asked Naruto. He leaned over, trying to peer at the pages of the book Sasuke held. Somehow he had managed to end up sitting right next to Sasuke, who was doing his level best to maintain a cool, calm composure, but his heart kept speeding up every time their knees accidentally touched, or worse, when Naruto would grab his arm to stop him turning a page. But, it was difficult not to jerk his head back when his friend's blond hair tickled his cheek.

"Watch it." said Sasuke.

Naruto looked up from the book, his eyes wide and questioning. "Watch what?"

"You're too close." Sasuke said, automatically voicing his thoughts and shoving him away.

A spark of irritation flashed through Naruto's eyes as he almost fell backwards.

"Oh, sorry," he replied, righting himself. "I forgot Uchihas have a personal bubble about a mile wide."

He leaned forward then, an evil smirk on his face. "How about this? Is this too close?"

He pushed his face right up to Sasuke's until their noses were practically touching and stared a challenge into his eyes. It was obviously a move meant to annoy the Uchiha, but Sasuke found that he couldn't react as he should, which would, of course, have been to shove Naruto back even harder, possibly breaking things out into a half-hearted fight - something that often occurred when they were annoying each other.

Instead, his body felt frozen and he sat there transfixed. He hadn't often taken the time to really look at Naruto's eyes. They were such a clear color, the only flecks contained in the irises being an even lighter shade of blue.

When Naruto found he wasn't being shoved away, he pulled back, looking awkward.

"Hey, uh, bastard." He said quietly, waving his hand in front of Sasuke's face. "Did your brain break or what?"

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie and shifted his gaze quickly to the book, avoiding Naruto's eyes as he felt red heat threaten to creep up his neck. He swallowed, clearing his throat. "I should be the one asking you that, idiot. The date was 1211. Pay more attention."

Naruto leaned over his paper, his expression grumpy. He scribbled the date on the timeline with his HB pencil. "If you spoke more clearly, bastard, I wouldn't have to check." He muttered.

Sasuke gave a mental sigh of relief at the distance again.

This was normal, right? They often studied together like this. This was…totally normal. Yet, how could Naruto be so completely unaffected that their faces had for a few moments been only a few inches apart?

But apparently, it was totally normal. Yep, completely normal.

* * *

Sasuke let out a deep sigh as he shut the front door and leaned back against it.

Naruto had finally finished that infernal timeline and left the Uchiha in peace.

That…had been sheer torture.

How could things change so much just from him realizing his feelings? He found himself wishing for the days he hadn't known. Ignorance really had been bliss.

The worst part was, it was obvious Naruto didn't feel the same way. He'd never even shown an inkling…and yet…he had gotten pretty annoyed when Sasuke had pushed him away, and awkward when he hadn't. Sasuke felt a spring of hope well up in his chest and quickly pushed it down. No, he was analyzing too much. That was a normal reaction.

Sasuke straightened up, his mind working overtime. Still, hadn't he, Sasuke also been in deep, clueless denial? Wasn't he the closest person to Naruto also? They were rarely ever apart, the blond stuck to him like glue. Why was he always around?

It might be possible, there just might be a chance that…

Sasuke frowned. No, there was no way. It was because they were friends.

But…what if…? It was true he didn't hang on Neji and Kiba like that.

He chewed on his lip.

It didn't matter. These feelings _had_ to be crushed. He just needed to figure out how. And there was only one person he could talk to about this.

* * *

"You did well to come to us, Mizuki. We appreciate your loyalty." said the man sitting at the desk. His face was shrouded in the darkness and Mizuki squinted under the harsh glare of the lights aimed at his eyes. They obstructed his vision, stopping him from getting a good look at the stranger as well as the several other dark figures in the room. Apart from those few lights shining from the ceiling solely in his direction, the room was almost pitch dark.

He licked his dry lips and his heart hammered in his chest. "Of course, it's my pleasure to keep the Akatsuki informed."

"And your loyalty will be rewarded." replied the man. The deep tone of his voice was flat and unchanging, completely void of human emotion. "Your business dealings will continue unobstructed by us."

Mizuki nodded. A bead of sweat trickled down his back. "Thank you. I'm grateful."

The man waved his hand. "Show him out."

Mizuki jumped as a tall, fair-haired man standing nearby opened the door. He gave an odd sort of half-bow, and followed him out, exiting the room as quickly as possible. Mizuki gave a small sigh of relief as he left. Talks with Akatsuki always felt like a brush with death itself.

* * *

The eyes of the man at the desk followed his exit, and once the door had closed, a cloaked figure stepped forward from the shadows.

"What do you want to do? We could easily have the threat eliminated."

The man leaned forward, clasping his hands together thoughtfully. "The Uchiha child is not a danger at this point. According to Mizuki's report, his information is virtually non-existent."

"But if he continues to dig around…" The hooded figure tailed off.

The man leaned back in his seat and turned his head towards a second dark figure. "It seems your brother does not realize the dangers of drawing attention to himself, Itachi."

A pair of red eyes flashed in the darkness and the figure stepped forward.

"He is insignificant - of little threat."

"I agree with you," said the man. "But this problem should not be underestimated. Our plans are nearing completion, and we cannot afford to be careless. Besides, wasn't it Sasuke Uchiha and his little friend who brought down Orochimaru's organization?"

He paused for a moment, considering. "Zetsu, what do you know about this case?"

The cloaked figure lowered his hood, revealing a head of green hair. "Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were both employees in Orochimaru's organization. They infiltrated Orochimaru's base of operations and destroyed it, and with it most of Orochimaru's research and employees. Those that did survive were of lower rank and could provide us with little information, but as you know, Orochimaru was spreading various drugs, including the Red Moon drug under the label, 'Bliss'."

The man nodded. "I am aware of these facts. All of this was in the media." He turned to Itachi. "Your brother got involved in order to find you, correct?"

Itachi nodded his silent reply.

The man rubbed his chin. "I understand why Sasuke was involved, but why was Naruto Uzumaki in that organization? Considering the legacy of his parents, it is surprising."

Zetsu cleared his throat. "It was not mentioned in the public media, but according to the case files, Naruto was weaned onto drugs and forced into the organization."

The man's head whipped up. "Why did you not mention this before, Zetsu?"

Zetsu took an instinctive step back. "I did not consider it relevant."

The man's eyes narrowed. "I shall decide what's relevant. From now on, you gather as much information as you can about those two, particularly regarding their dealings with Orochimaru. I want every detail of that case before me as soon as possible."

Zetsu nodded and made a swift exit, his green hair flashing in the light as he passed in front of it.

The man turned to two other figures. "As for you, gentleman, you know what to do. Do not make any moves unless I deem it necessary. You are all dismissed."

As the figures began to leave, he addressed Itachi. "Please assist Zetsu in gathering information. I am sure that you can help him by giving him a head start, can't you?"

Itachi nodded, his red eyes flashing in the darkness. "Yes, sir." He replied before following the other figures out of the room.

The figures all exited the room, only one pausing at the door, looking back questioningly.

The man clasped his hands together, sitting back in the shadows. "We shall keep an eye on them for now. It may be nothing, but I don't want to leave any possible threats to our plan unresolved."

The figure nodded and exited the room.

* * *

_Naruto's heart was beating so hard he thought his ribcage would crack from the pressure. He felt sick, so disgustingly sick. He ran, just kept running through the darkness, but he could hear the footsteps echoing behind him, walking so calmly, so steadily, yet always getting closer. The jeers were ringing in his ears, pairs of bodiless eyes staring at him with hatred as he passed them in the black. They seemed to whisper in his mind._

Give up, Uzumaki.

You can't escape.

He's coming for you.

_A towering, concrete wall rose before him, blocking his path and he searched frantically for a way to pass, but it seemed to be all around him, and the cold realization hit him that he was trapped inside a small, concrete interrogation room._

_He let out a sob of fear then, as in his heart of hearts he knew what was coming next. Steeling himself, and forcing his body to turn around, he faced the other side of the room. A large mirror was set in the concrete wall and as he watched, a smoky figure began to emerge. Two yellow eyes were the first thing he could see, and he shrank back, screwing his eyes shut._

_"No, please. No." he whispered to himself, but it didn't stop the sensation of the cold hand that touched his cheek._

_"Hello, Naruto-kun." said a cold, silky voice. "I missed you."_

_Naruto's opened his eyes and found himself staring straight into the face of Orochimaru. He couldn't move, cold unadulterated terror flowing through him, the only sensation was the beating of his own heart pounding painfully in his chest. Orochimaru slammed him hard against the wall and the disgusting man leaned forward, flashing him a cruel smile. "Did you miss me?"_

_Naruto didn't have a chance to reply before Orochimaru slammed a fist into his gut. He gave out a cry of pain and doubled over, collapsing to the floor, but he didn't have a moment to recover before a hand gripped his hair painfully, pulling him to his feet and dragging him over to a hospital bed. He was thrown onto it, and somehow found himself completely strapped down. He struggled in the bindings, and the room around him morphed, changing to a laboratory. He could hear the steady beeping of a machine and see the bubbling liquids out of the corner of his eye._

_"Welcome, Naruto. This won't hurt a bit." said a silver-haired man leaning over him._

Kabuto_, his mind numbly registered before the man raised a scalpel and stabbed him hard in the leg._

_Naruto screamed, writhing in burning pain as Kabuto dug the metal instrument in his wound. Kabuto's face morphed into Orochimaru's and he leered, pulling out the scalpel and tossing it aside. He began to climb on top of the blond teen strapped to the bed, his heavy weight pressing down on him._

_No, no, no, cried Naruto's mind._

_"Don't worry." said Orochimaru in a soothing voice. "If you're good I might go gently."_

_Naruto struggled desperately as Orochimaru began to slide down his pants, thrashing his arms and legs, but they were pinned by the bindings._

_"No!" he screamed. "Don't! I don't want it!"_

_"Naruto." replied Orochimaru with a grin. "Listen to me, Naruto." He leaned his face closer, licking Naruto's jawline, and Naruto thrashed his head around, trying to avoid the older man's lips, which were seeking his._

_"Naruto, listen to me." He said again, and began shaking Naruto angrily. "Listen!"_

_Naruto continued to scream and yell, trying to avoid the man, when the bindings suddenly disappeared._

* * *

"Listen. Wake up, Naruto!" were the words he heard before he opened his eyes and shot up in bed with a yell, almost knocking foreheads with the man sitting in front of him. It took him a few moments to realize where he was as he glanced fearfully around his bedroom. The light was on and Iruka sat on his bed. His face was drawn and worried, and he was still in a t-shirt and boxers. It was obvious he'd leapt out of bed on hearing Naruto.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

Sweat drenched Naruto and he could feel his heart beating wildly. He willed the tension out of his body and wiped at his sweaty brow as he met Iruka's concerned brown eyes.

"I'm fine." He said, swallowing. Fuck, his throat hurt. He must have been doing a lot of screaming.

Iruka hesitated. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Naruto shook his head and shot Iruka a fake smile. "No, it's cool. I'm, I'm fine. It was just…a nightmare." His brain was still processing that fact. It had felt so real.

"Are you sure you're all right, Naruto?" asked Iruka. "You were screaming. It sounded pretty intense. You know I can stay here if you like."

"I'm fine." replied Naruto, and then seeing the uncertainty on Iruka's face, he forced a smile. "Really. I'd…just like to be left alone if that's ok."

Iruka looked like he wanted to say something else, but he stopped himself and nodded. "Of course, if that's what you want."

He stood up. "Well, if you do need anything, I'm right down the hall."

Naruto nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Iruka."

Iruka left the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as Iruka had shut the door, Naruto shot out of bed and made his way to the ensuite bathroom. He threw open the door and stumbled to the toilet, leaning forward and retching into the porcelain bowl. He stood there for a moment, staring at his own stomach contents before reaching for the handle with a shaky hand, and flushing away the waste. He wandered over to the sink and rinsed out his mouth, catching sight of himself in the mirror as he straightened up. Dark circles were deepening under his eyes. He quickly looked away. He didn't like mirrors at the best of times, and he tried not to recall the yellow eyes that had been staring at him in his dream.

Naruto climbed back into bed, the sheets were slightly clammy and cold from the sweat that had soaked them in the night and Naruto shivered, turning on his side to face his bedroom door.

The dreams kept haunting him. Sometimes they were different, sometimes it was something new, but over and over again that…_man_…would appear, terrorizing him in the night. It had been a while since he had visited his dreams. Naruto had stupidly begun to think he was getting better, finally getting past things, but no, the night terrors were as strong as ever. Remnants of pain throbbed dully in his leg and he pulled his knees up to his chest under the covers, curling himself into a protective ball. That gunshot wound still hurt now and then, especially after the dreams.

"It doesn't matter,"he whispered to himself. "None of that ever happened, Uzumaki. It was all a dream. Orochimaru - everything that happened - was a dream. You don't have to think about it. That was a nightmare. It was never a part of your life."

He screwed his eyes shut. "So don't fucking think about it. You're a normal teenager with a normal life. Nothing ever happened. Tomorrow you'll wake up and be the same old Naruto Uzumaki."

He willed his body to stop shaking and let his arms relax from the tight bear-hug he was giving himself, unsure of when he had actually put himself in that position. He sighed.

He knew he was too old to be scared by nightmares, but he would leave the light on tonight.

* * *

On the other side of the door, Iruka sighed, letting go of the handle. Naruto had been living under his roof for months now, yet most of the time it felt like they had never gotten past the stiff, polite reserve of the first day he'd moved in. Naruto still acted like a guest.

He stifled a yawn and rubbed a hand through his hair as he walked down the hallway to his own room. Tomorrow Naruto would pretend like this had never happened. It had been the same way during the court case. Even with all that had been going on, every time Iruka had tried to talk to Naruto about his feelings or the situation, he'd be shut down. Iruka could still see the nightmares haunting Naruto's eyes the morning after, but the mask would be up and they'd carry on as usual, the pretense of a happy family. Iruka sighed as he climbed into bed. He was a terrible foster father.

* * *

**AN:** Finally some (albeit one-sided) sasunaru. And even a little behind-the-scenes plot progression. You've also gotten a little taste of how Naruto's coping with things...by sheer unhealthy denial. Not smart, but can you blame him?

As always, your feedback is SUPER appreciated.

Ok, I'm going to go take a break now. ;)


	6. Mind vs Heart

**AN:** Once again thank you for all the reviews! Almost at 100. Yay! To the guests, I cannot reply to you personally, but I read your reviews too and they make me very happy, so thank you.

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 6: Mind vs. Heart

_"Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler."_

~Friedrich Nietzsche

* * *

"Oi, Shikamaru." Sasuke walked up to the boy lounging on the bench under the tall cherry tree. The blossoms had almost all fallen, leaving behind a ragged pink carpet on the ground that was slowly turning yellow.

Shikamaru lay under the green branches, his spiky black ponytail splaying out onto the slats like the fronds of a fir tree. He opened one eye as the other teen approached.

"Sasuke." he said in a flat tone. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Sasuke stopped in front of the bench, his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to talk to you about what you said the other day."

Shikamaru closed his eye again. "What I said?"

Sasuke narrowed his brows. "Don't play dumb, Shikamaru. You know what I'm talking about."

"Ah, so you finally realized your feelings then." Shikamaru replied.

Sasuke kicked at the pink petals making them fly up in a flurry before settling back down onto the grass. Hearing Shikamaru say that so directly was somewhat disconcerting.

"I want you to tell me how to get rid of them." he said.

Shikamaru smiled, settling his hands behind his head. He would have looked like he was having a pleasant dream were he not speaking aloud.

"Get rid of them?" he echoed.

Sasuke glared at the face that wasn't even deigning to look at him.

"These…feelings." He managed to grind out.

Finally, Shikamaru opened his eyes and fixed Sasuke with a penetrating stare.

"You don't."

"Excuse me?" said Sasuke.

"You don't get rid of them." replied Shikamaru with a sigh. "Feelings aren't something you can just control. They're there for a reason. Even if you bury them deep down, they'll still be there. You can deny them, ignore them, but you can't get rid of them. In fact, the more you deny them, the stronger they'll grow, just under the surface."

Well, that just wasn't fair. Feelings shouldn't be allowed to get stronger.

"Well, I've managed perfectly well so far by controlling my feelings." said Sasuke, stuffing his hands further into his pockets. "I'm pretty sure I can manage this."

"Coming to me for advice would suggest otherwise." remarked Shikamaru dryly.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and was about to retort when Shikamaru's next words blindsided him.

"What exactly are you afraid of?"

Sasuke blinked, the words taking a moment to process. Afraid? He, Sasuke Uchiha, afraid?

He glared. "I'm not afraid."

Shikamaru with his eyes closed, was, of course, completely unperturbed by the Uchiha stare.

"If you say so."

Sasuke balled his hands into fists in his pockets. Man, sometimes he really just wanted to sock Shikamaru one right in the face, that smug know-it-all. But, of course, he was above such mindless violence, so instead he turned and walked away, letting his hands relax.

"Yo, Sasuke." Shikamaru called after him.

Sasuke looked round. Shikamaru appeared as motionless as a mannequin, but then the boy's lips moved.

"There might be one way."

"Oh?" Sasuke made sure to keep his voice level and disinterested.

"Yes." replied Shikamaru and he opened one eye, looking at Sasuke. "Just make his relationship with Sakura a success. Sure, your feelings won't go away, but at least it'll stop you from making any moves." He closed his eyes again, and turned his face towards the sky. "Then again, maybe he won't need your help. He's doing pretty well so far. And if you're lucky, he might forget about you altogether. He'll move on with his life none the wiser, never realizing what he might have missed, and you can try and pretend like you never felt this way."

Aaaand the hands went back to being tightly clenched.

"Thanks for nothing." said Sasuke as he walked back towards the grey school building.

"You're welcome." came the calm reply.

* * *

Sasuke didn't see the smile appear on Shikamaru's face after he turned away. A strong breeze swept through the leaves overhead, unseating the last few petals that hung gamely onto the branches. One fluttered down, settling on the boy's nose. He opened his eyes and picked it up in his fingers, examining the delicate veins of the petal before blowing a puff of air that sent it whirling back into the sky before floating down to join the uneven pink carpet on the ground.

_Poor cherry blossom_, he mused. It was beautiful, but it never did last for very long.

* * *

Sasuke was quiet during lunch that day as he sat with Naruto and his friends - Neji, Kiba, Hinata and Ino. He watched as Naruto talked to Sakura. The blond was so…animated, waving his hands in the air as he asked her questions and laughing about some crappy girly book she was reading. He seemed physically unable to wipe the smile off his face whenever she showed the slightest bit of interest and attention.

_Of course,_ he thought, _Naruto is dating Sakura._

Sure, things weren't that serious yet, but…

Sasuke shifted his gaze to Sakura. She was less animated, and the pink-haired girl was making fun of Naruto as usual, but it was in a lighthearted way, and Sasuke noticed her smiling at some of the idiot's jokes. He frowned as he noticed a light blush rise on her cheeks now and then when Naruto complimented her. She glanced up when she felt Sasuke's eyes on her, and the blush deepened tenfold.

"Is there something the matter, Sasuke?"

A look of frustration flashed across Naruto's face at her abrupt change in attention, and Sasuke hid a smug smile of satisfaction. Oh yes, he still held some sway here.

What he didn't like was the way Naruto's happy expression had turned to one of… annoyance? He shouldn't be smiling at Sakura that way and then give Sasuke that look. It didn't seem…right.

"Nothing, Sakura." He said in a bored voice.

"Don't worry about him, Sakura." said Naruto. "He's always sulking about something."

"Naruto, that's not very nice." said Sakura, turning back to look at the blond.

Sasuke couldn't help feeling a small stab of pain at Naruto's words. Stupid feelings. But he kept his expression passive and shot back a quick reply.

"Uzumaki has yet to learn that always talking doesn't necessarily mean you're interesting."

Usually, an insult like that would bring on an attempted comeback resulting in a nice, long barrage of zingers between the two, but Naruto simply stuck out his tongue and turned back to Sakura.

"Anyway, tell me more about the end of the story. What happened?"

Sakura tore her eyes reluctantly from Sasuke. "Well…"

Kiba who was sitting next to him gave him a nudge. "You won't get a word in edgeways with those two around. They're turning into a regular couple."

He grinned and winked at Hinata who turned slightly red and stared down at her food. Neji shot Kiba a glare.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"Hey, Naruto." he interrupted. "Are we still on for the study session on Saturday?"

Naruto looked at him in surprise. "Saturday? Sorry, man, I can't."

Sasuke narrowed his brows. "Why not? We always meet up on Saturdays."

Naruto shrugged and then rubbed the back of his head, glancing at Sakura. "Well, you know, we're kinda going on a date then."

Of course, the ridiculous mall date. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him then, looking nervous as usual. He hated that scared rabbit look of hers. She always wore it around Sasuke, especially every time she had asked him out.

Sasuke ignored her and picked up a forkful of his chicken salad. He was supposed to help this farce of a relationship? That would be an unkindness to Naruto and a sin against mankind itself.

Sasuke tightened his grip on the fork as Naruto went back to talking animatedly with Sakura about the book.

He had to stop this…for Naruto's sake, before he got in too deep and had his heart broken. Yeah, for Naruto.

Plus…Sasuke wanted his damn Saturdays back.

* * *

"Oh, let's go in here. I want to see if the new One Direction CD is out." said Sakura, almost running towards the large music store.

Naruto grinned. Sakura had been pretty subdued while they'd been browsing the clothes stores, but it was good to see her brighten up, even if it was for a One Direction CD. Naruto glanced at the large poster of those boys hanging in the window with their floppy Justin Bieber-style haircuts. Seriously? This was the weird, granddad, Beatles look guys were supposed to be rocking now?

He sighed and followed Sakura into the store. CDs lined the shelves of course, along with a huge assortment of DVDs, and some pop song Naruto had never heard blasted on the intercom.

"So, what kind of music do you like, Sakura?" asked Naruto as he walked up beside her.

Sakura looked up from the CDs she'd been flicking through. She smiled. "Pop, I guess. I'm pretty mainstream. I know it's not cool, but-"

"Nah, it's cool." said Naruto quickly. "I mean, I like pop sometimes too, but I guess I'm more into rock."

He glanced around the pop section. So, there weren't many bands he liked in this section. The faces of Rihanna and Beyonce stared back at him with smug, I'm-filthy-rich-and-famous smiles, but he definitely wasn't going to snub someone for their music tastes. He hated pretentious hipster prats. Besides, he liked enough embarrassing bands as it is.

"You don't need to be worried about that, Sakura." said a smooth voice beside him. "Naruto likes the lame punk/metal scene. Anything with enough drums to drown out the lyrics."

Sakura's eyes widened and Naruto practically choked.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" he said.

Sasuke stood before them, the usual grumpy look on his face as if someone had just told him his dog had died, and his hands stuffed moodily in the pockets of his black skinny jeans. Naruto cursed inwardly. Damn him for always managing to look so cool. He could practically see the drool escaping Sakura's mouth at the sight of Sasuke in a tight black t-shirt and gray zip-up hoody.

Sasuke shrugged. "Had some stuff to buy."

_Yeah, well, go and buy somewhere else, _thought Naruto, willing him away.

"Right, well-" began Naruto.

"What kind of music do you like, Sasuke?" interrupted Sakura.

Sasuke looked around at the CDs in the pop section. "None of this crap."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Don't call it crap, you bastard."

Sakura blushed. "No, it – it's ok. I know my taste in music isn't cool." She smiled at Sasuke. "So, what _do_ you like?"

The Uchiha gave another noncommittal shrug. "I don't listen to much music, but if I do I guess it's indie and electronic rock, or classical."

"Wow, that's cool. Really cultured." said Sakura with a smile.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Sasuke was the_ definition_ of the hipster music snob.

He forced a grin to his face and made a show of glancing at his watch. "Well, it's about lunchtime. Let's go buy that new album, Sakura." He turned to Sasuke. "See you, Sasuke. We're going to go get a bite to eat."

"Oh." said Sakura, disappointment edging her voice, and she looked between Naruto and Sasuke. "Why doesn't Sasuke join us? We're all here after all. We could all eat together."

She could not be serious. "I don't think that-" he began.

"Sounds good to me." said Sasuke, flashing her a rare smile. Sakura turned pink.

Naruto was pretty sure by now that he was going to throttle Sasuke. He clenched his fists. "Actually, we're kind of on a date here in case you hadn't noticed so…"

"Oh come on, Naruto." said Sakura gazing up at him with a bright smile. "It's no big deal if we just eat together, right?"

Naruto swallowed. How was he supposed to resist that?

"Fine." He said with a sigh.

Sakura's smile widened. She turned to Sasuke as they began walking towards the counter. "So, tell me some of the bands you like, Sasuke."

Naruto walked behind the two of them. He was going to freaking kill Sasuke.

* * *

Naruto sat in utter boredom at the plastic gray table in the food court. Sakura was babbling away to Sasuke and had barely given him a second glance since they'd gotten the food.

He picked gloomily at his french fries and looked up to find Sasuke's dark eyes on him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke shot Naruto a small smirk and turned his attention back to the bubbly girl. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Sakura blushed pink at the rare attention and polite turn of phrase. "I-I was just asking if you'd been to any music concerts?"

Naruto clenched his jaw. _That bastard._ He was doing this on purpose. He was messing with him on his freaking date.

Naruto stood up, causing both Sasuke and Sakura to look at him.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He said shortly and walked away, leaving the two 'lovebirds' sitting at the table.

He sighed as he pushed open the door to the men's bathrooms and stood in front of the sinks, staring at himself in the mirror. What the hell was Sasuke pulling, muscling in on his date like that? Did he just want to flaunt how much Sakura still liked him? To show how easily he could take her?

A low growl escaped Naruto's throat and he glared at his reflection, imagining it was Sasuke's face in the mirror and not his own. Oh, how he'd love to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off the Uchiha's face once and for all.

He glanced up as the door swung open again, and in walked none other than the guy himself.

"What the hell do _you_ want?" he asked, not even attempting to sound calm.

"Came to see if you're alright." said Sasuke, letting the door swing shut behind him. "You left kind of suddenly. Sakura was worried."

Naruto snorted. "I'm surprised she could stop long enough to even think of me with you around." He glared at Sasuke. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I had some shopping to do."

"And you just thought you'd third wheel yourself into our date?"

Sasuke raised a brow and smirked. "I'm hardly a third wheel if Sakura invites me. Seems to me like you're the one who became the third wheel."

Naruto snapped, grabbing Sasuke's shirt and pushing him against the wall. Sasuke's back hit the dryer and it turned on automatically, filling the room with a mundane hum. He gave a grunt of pain, but otherwise showed no reaction, his face as annoyingly poker straight as always.

"You're fucking ruining everything." said Naruto.

"In case you hadn't noticed, _she_ asked_ me_." replied Sasuke. He lifted his hands, curling his fingers around Naruto's wrists as if to loosen his hold. Naruto responded by tightening his grip on Sasuke's shirt.

"I don't care if she _begged_ you. You should've said no. You think I can bring on the romance and convince her to become my girlfriend when your skinny ass is sitting next to us?"

This time it was Sasuke that snapped, and Naruto found himself, much to his surprise, being the one grabbed by the shirt and shoved against the wall, the cold tiles knocking the breath out of him momentarily. Sasuke was so close he could see for the first time the emotions storming in his eyes.

"She is not and never will be your girlfriend."

So there it was. Naruto shook his head in disbelief. So, Sasuke _did_ like Sakura.

Sasuke continued, "Do you think you could ever be happy with a girl who just has to see another guy she finds hot in her eyeline before she loses complete interest in you?"

"Sakura isn't that shallow." replied Naruto, glaring back.

Sasuke clicked his tongue, making a tutting sound. "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. It doesn't really matter though, does it?"

_Here it is, _thought Naruto. The truth. The truth about Sasuke's plan to steal her away, to finally destroy everything Naruto had been trying to build for so long.

"And why's that?" He managed to spit out, waiting for the blow to his ego."

"Ever heard the phrase, 'She's just not that into you'?" said Sasuke. "Take the hint and leave her in the dust. You can do better."

Hah, so he was trying to 'save' Naruto's feelings before taking her. What a freaking hypocrite.

_Well, let's see him play out his little game, _thought Naruto.

He shot Sasuke a sarcastic smile. "Oh yeah? Like who?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and he pulled back slightly, letting go of Naruto's shirt, the material uncrinkling and settling back in place against Naruto's skin.

"I…don't know." He said eventually, and looked away, focusing instead on some what-must-be-fascinating fixtures in the bathroom.

Well, that was the end of that ridiculous charade. Naruto folded his arms and glared.

"Well then, thanks for the _fabulous_ advice, Uchiha." He said. "I know you've not got much else to do in your sad little life aside from pissing me off, but you've got another thing coming if you think I'm just going to let you waltz in and mess everything up between me and Sakura."

Sasuke's eyes snapped back to Naruto and he opened his mouth to say something when the door swung open.

An overweight man in shorts and sandals walked in, his dark brown hair plastered over his forehead in an odd combover.

"Get a room, fags." He shot at them before managing to slide himself into a dark green cubicle and shutting the door with a bang.

It was then the two teens seemed to notice the distance (or lack thereof) between them.

Naruto felt the heat rise on his cheeks as he realized how it must have looked staring intensely into each other's eyes only a few inches apart. Sasuke took a few quick steps back, a faint red coloring his own pale cheeks.

Good. Sasuke deserved to feel embarrassed. It was a rare enough occasion anyway.

The blush disappeared all too quickly though.

"Does it really bother you that much if I'm here?" he asked, his face settling back to its usual poker-like expression.

Naruto raised a brow. Was he joking?

"What do you think, genius? I'm on a freaking date."

Sasuke shrugged. "Then I'll leave."

An inexplicable flash of irritation shot through Naruto.

"Fine. Do that." He said. That's what he wanted after all, for Sasuke to go.

Sasuke went over to the swing door and opened it, but paused looking back. Naruto waited for him to say something – probably some stupid insult to get under Naruto's skin for the rest of the day. Sasuke, however, surprised him once again by not speaking a word, only turning away and walking out of the bathroom. The door squeaked as it swung shut behind him, flipping over the threshold a few times like a pendulum before finally coming to stop.

Naruto finally let his shoulders relax. He realized he had been standing tense against the wall, readying himself for a fight.

Well, that had been uncomfortable.

It wasn't often Sasuke lost his cool around him. Usually, he was careful. Naruto knew in the back of his mind, Sasuke held back for fear of causing any flashbacks or trauma to Naruto after all that had happened, but sometimes he missed those first few days of knowing each other when they'd gotten into scrap-fights and settled all their arguments with their fists.

All this verbal crap was…way more complicated. Now they were growing up and fighting over girls. Damn.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair as he headed out of the bathrooms, trying to ignore the sound of the fat guy grunting in the stall. There was just no need to be that vocal.

He walked back to the table in the cafeteria, smiling at Sakura as she came into view, and saw her faint smile and then searching glance as she looked around for the other boy. He swallowed.

Well, Sasuke might have the advantage in this one, but he wasn't going to give up without a fight.

* * *

**AN:** Hehe, I love making Naruto so clueless. It's a special kind of torture for Sasuke.

Anyway, a little **announcement** - I have had some ideas for **new SasuNaru stories** floating around in my head and wondered which ones you lovelies might be interested in reading. Here's a list:

A story based on Alice in Wonderland - Naruto Style ;) (cue NarutoAlice and MadHatterSasuke or maybe vice versa? Naruto might make a better mad hatter)

A pirate/sailor story. Naruto the pirate and Sasuke the law-abiding captain sent to hunt him down. Arr, matey!

A story set in an asylum - two messed up boys sorting through their issues (been done a lot, but I like those psychological stories)

A library story - gratuitous SasuNaru wherein Sasuke stalks Naruto in a library, lol (just a short probably)

So, those are the ideas, all of them silly SasuNaru ideas, but hey, those are fun! You can let me know in reviews what you'd be interested in. I'm not sure if I will start any before or after finishing Red Storm since this story will be my priority until it's complete, but I'd like to at least get a little feedback on what you'd most like to read (I might get other ideas as I go along). Each story will certainly have a different flavour, and I'll be trying to exercise different writing styles (if I can) for each. Anyway, I might put it to a vote once I complete this particular story. For now, tell me what you think and if you'd be interested in reading more. :)


	7. In Control

**AN:** Ah, I'm sorry, my lovelies. This chapter was a beast to try and write, and it just would not flow. Stupid thing. Still, I'm posting it up anyway for the good old weekly update. Hell, I can always come back and revise it later, eh? Feel free to comment/criticize. And as usual thank you for the awesome reviews! I'll be replying to each one. I can't reply to OreoCookie for your Cloud Cover review personally, so if you're reading this - thank you so much. Made me super happy! That was an amazingly kind and inspiring review, and you should definitely go for writing your own story, regardless of similarities. It's fanfiction after all. xD

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 7: In Control

_"I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you _want _to keep in, and the kind you don't _dare_ to let out."_  
~Ally Carter

* * *

Naruto grabbed the mugs on the table roughly and slammed them onto his tray. He threw out his hand to pick up the next, but managed to hit another nearby cup with his arm. The half-full coffee teetered for a moment and then fell with a clatter, spilling the brown liquid all over the black table before rolling off and falling with a clunk to the floor.

Naruto took a deep breath to stop himself cursing and glared at the evil object.

"Stupid mug." He muttered. Stupid thing couldn't even stay upright.

"Having a bad day?" said a smooth voice nearby. It was tainted with a slight drawl.

Naruto looked up. It was the white-haired guy from the other day sitting back in a dark green armchair with the air of one who owned the world. Looked like he was becoming a regular at the café.

_Remember, don't be paranoid, Uzumaki,_ he reminded himself.

Naruto shot him a quick professional smile. "I've had better."

The man took a sip of his coffee. "Looks like something is bothering you, and I bet I can guess what."

Naruto put down his tray and picked up the white cloth.

"Oh yeah?" he said before starting to mop up the spilled coffee, trying not to wrinkle his nose as he felt the cloth become sodden and heavy with the cold brown liquid.

"Girl trouble?"

Naruto straightened up and gave the man his full attention, amazed. "How did you know?"

The man smiled showing his straight white teeth. A small silver stud glinted under his lip, the piercing at odds with his crisp black business suit.

"It's almost always about a girl." he said in his casual drawl, then paused and added. "…or a guy."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, well my problem is both."

"Ah," replied the man. "I thought so."

Naruto raised a brow. "Huh?"

The man took another sip of his coffee. "Well, you strike me as the type who could go both ways."

Heat crept into Naruto's face. Suddenly he didn't feel much like continuing this conversation, and he turned back to mop up the coffee. "Yeah, well, I'm not."

He saw the man shrug out of the corner of his eye. "Fair enough. No need to be embarrassed if you are bi or anything. I'm gay myself."

Naruto instinctively looked the man over.

"Really?" said Naruto. "You don't really seem like the…" he trailed off and reddened further.

"Type?" finished the man for him. He grinned. "Alas, we come in many packages."

"Yeah, sorry, that's not what I meant." said Naruto, shooting him an apologetic smile. "I just wouldn't have figured."

"No problem." replied the man. He relaxed back in his chair. "So, you wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" said Naruto.

"Your girl trouble." came the smooth reply.

Naruto looked over at the man, trying to decide whether or not he should talk about this kind of personal stuff. Then again what harm could it do? He plopped the now sodden cloth on his tray with a sigh.

"I think me and my friend like the same girl."

The man nodded. "Ah, that old nugget. What makes you think he likes her?"

Naruto shrugged. "Ever since I started dating her, he's been really weird about it."

The man smirked as he took another sip of coffee. "So, what are you going to do?"

Naruto sighed. "I don't know. I'm not going to let him steal her, that's for sure."

"That's the spirit." replied the man. "I wouldn't let anyone take my partner without fighting me tooth and nail first."

He shot Naruto a devilish grin and the teenager couldn't suppress a small shiver. He could quite well imagine this man being a scary opponent in a fight despite his crisp, clean look.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "That would be fine and all, but he's also my friend."

The man picked up the jacket draped over the side of the armchair and put it on. "Well then, you gotta decide what's more important. Your friend or your girl."

Naruto frowned. He hadn't really thought of it that clear-cut. "Why can't I just have both?"

He was met with a smirk, the silver stud glinting in the light. "I get the feeling you're going to have to choose one or the other." He shrugged and stood up. "Either way, desires are temporary, feelings are temporary. You should enjoy what you have while you have it, don't you think?"

"I guess." replied Naruto uncertainly, watching as the man finished gulped down his last dregs of coffee and placed the mug on the table.

He straightened up and put a few dollars in the saucer. "Anyway, thanks for the chat…" he glanced at the teen's nametage. "Naruto, right?"

Naruto swallowed and nodded. "No problem, uh…sir."

The man winked. "The name's Hisao." He gave Naruto a casual wave as he headed out of the café. "See you around, Naruto. Good luck with your boy trouble."

Naruto frowned.

"Girl trouble." He muttered quietly to himself as he began clearing up the man's dishes. "It's _girl_ trouble."

* * *

_Two days later_

Sasuke thought he had had it figured out. Since the argument in the mall bathroom, he'd been avoiding Naruto. That's all he needed to do, right? Keep avoiding until the feelings faded.

And yet…the exact opposite seemed to be happening. Sasuke leaned forward on his desk, his head in his hands. Kakashi was droning on about integers, and Sasuke tried to listen, yet his attention kept wandering off to a certain blond seated a couple of rows away.

Naruto certainly didn't seem to be minding the distance. In fact, he seemed to welcome it. He was scribbling notes, sticking out his tongue in concentration.

_Probably still mad,_ thought Sasuke. Not that he could blame him. He'd have been way more pissed at anyone who dared to interrupt his date. An image of him and Naruto sitting together at the mall laughing and joking popped into his head, and he quickly pushed it away. No, they weren't dating, not even close. Him and Naruto on a date? The very idea was laughable...

He sighed and shot another glance at the blond only to have his view blocked by a tall figure.

"This is going to be on the test." said Kakashi. "I suggest you concentrate on the lesson rather than ogling your friend there."

Sasuke scowled. Apart from a few nearby snickers, no one else batted an eye, too used to the pervy teacher reading innuendos into almost everything, but Sasuke saw the glint in Kakashi's eyes and felt a cold rush of fear.

He _knew._

Sasuke didn't know how, but Kakashi knew. That irritating man had always been able to read him infuriatingly well. It drove Sasuke made no end. He pointedly avoided the man's eyes and faced the board in front of him, attempting to concentrate. If only Naruto wasn't a few rows away. He jumped as Kakashi slammed his book.

"That's all for today, class. You can get on with your important lives and prepare for next period. As for me, I have an appointment with God which I can't be late for." He left the classroom in a flash.

Sasuke sighed. That man never stopped talking bull.

He stood up and began packing away his things, deciding to take his time with things - let Naruto get ahead of him. That way he could avoid him for longer.

"Hey." said a familiar voice.

Sasuke's head snapped up only to be met with a pair of grumpy-looking blue eyes framed by that sinfully golden blond hair. He swallowed and continued packing up his things.

_Naruto is not attractive,_ he reminded himself.

"What do you want, Uzumaki?" he said in the most disinterested voice he could muster.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto's body tense at the cold greeting, and Sasuke felt a hand grab his arm, forcing him to look up.

"I'm the one who should be mad here, not you." said Naruto, glaring at him.

Shoots of electricity tingled in Sasuke's arm where Naruto held it and his tongue felt thick and heavy, unable to form any words as he stared back. The noises of people leaving the classroom faded into an ocean of background noise turning to silence as the last student left.

"Are you even listening to me?" said Naruto, shaking him.

Sasuke blinked, pulled out of his trance and yanked his arm away. He looked down, feigning extreme interest in his papers as he gathered them up, all the while trying to steady his breathing.

"You want to talk to me now?" he said, not looking at Naruto. "I was enjoying the whole 'ignoring me' thing so much, I was hoping it would last a bit longer."

He could imagine Naruto's expression right now, could imagine the anger and indignation being sent his way. Hell, he could practically _feel_ it crackling in the air.

"Fuck you, Uchiha." said Naruto, kicking at his desk, "I came over here to do the right thing, try and patch things up, but you just can't help being a dick, can you?"

He began to walk away, and before he realized what he was doing, Sasuke grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. Naruto was pulled to a halt and the two boys stood half-frozen for a moment - Naruto looking back at him with a perplexed expression.

"I-" began Sasuke, and trailed off. He had absolutely no idea what it was he was planning to say. His mind, for once, completely blank.

Naruto stood still for a moment, meeting Sasuke's gaze - the two boys silent, neither one speaking for what seemed like an age. The stillness was broken by the loud ringing of a bell for next period, and Naruto blinked, pulling away. He shook his head, taking a few steps back.

"You are so bi-polar." He muttered before heading out of the classroom.

Sasuke sank back into his seat and put his head in his hands. This was getting out of control.

* * *

The day crawled past and lunch break took an eternity to arrive. Sasuke sat at the very end of the table as far away from Naruto and his pink-haired crush as possible. This was what he wanted…to be left in peace. This was freaking perfect. He bit moodily into his sandwich.

"I've got an announcement." said Ino, sitting down at the lunch table with a smug smile on her face and holding a wad of papers.

"You finally decided to get plastic surgery?" said Kiba, earning himself an abrupt dig in the side from Ino's elbow.

"No." said Ino, shooting him a glare. "The parents just announced they are going away this weekend which means a massive party at mine on Friday night."

Sakura gave a squeal of delight and Naruto's eyes shone.

"Great!" he said.

Kiba leaned toward Neji with a wink. "You going to invite Tenten, Mr. Casanova?"

If the Hyuuga could have murdered people with his eyes, Kiba would be dead, but his voice was level. "Jealous because you can't get a date, Inuzuka?"

Kiba reddened slightly. "Yeah, well, maybe I will."

His eyes flicked towards Hinata who quickly looked away.

Neji smirked, "Good luck with that."

Soon everyone was chatting excitedly about the party. Only Sasuke remained nonplussed, well-aware of Naruto pointedly ignoring him as he asked everyone when they were going to arrive.

_Good_, he thought grimly to himself. Being ignored was a lot easier than whatever the hell had happened this morning.

"Are you coming, Sasuke?" asked Ino, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, only to be met with a look of hostile challenge. He calmly took a bite of his sandwich and swallowed before replying. "No. Parties are a waste of time."

Across the other side of the table, he could see Naruto notably relax.

"Oh, well, ok then, I guess." said Ino. "If you change your mind, you're always welcome."

Then she turned to the others. "As for the rest of you, I'm counting on you to spread the word."

Kiba saluted. "Yes, your majesty."

"Come on, Sakura. Let's go hand out flyers." said Ino. "Plus, we've got to plan."

"Ok!" said Sakura, flashing Naruto a smile as she stood up and followed her friend with her tray, their lunches only half-eaten.

Neji rolled his eyes. "Probably going to talk about girl stuff."

Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes widen at the thought of the mystical world of girls. He gave a quiet snort of derision. There was nothing interesting about that vapid world of boys and clothes.

"What's this about a party?" said a voice nearby. A tall, muscular guy with pale, wavy blond hair walked up to the table. His square jaw was set in a permanent mocking smile, which turned to a sneer when his eyes landed on Naruto. "Oh, forget I asked. I didn't realize it was a loser's party."

Naruto reddened with anger and stood up, followed by Kiba who eyed the intruder with disgust.

"Sorry, mate." said Kiba. "I'm afraid our parties only include people who can actually graduate from their classes. How many times have you been held back now?"

The teen glared and took a threatening step towards Kiba.

"Watch your mouth, bitch, or I might just have to add you to my list of people I don't like, and trust me, you don't want to be on that list."

Sasuke frowned. This guy was the definition of school bully and he had made it his mission to bother Naruto from day one. Being too stupid to graduate hadn't really raised the guy's insecurity levels.

Naruto stepped towards the teen. "Back off, Kenta, or you'll have to deal with me."

The teen let out a bark of laughter. "You serious, Uzumaki? You think you're a threat?"

From his angle, Sasuke could see this Kenta guy put his hand behind his back and his little 'friend' slip him a large cup of soda.

"How about you deal with this?" said Kenta as he pulled his hand from behind his back and tried to fling the liquid at Naruto, but he was stopped by a hand on his arm. Sasuke had stood up quickly and held tightly onto Kenta's wrist, causing the liquid to instead go splashing down his front.

Naruto flashed Sasuke a look of surprise and Kiba let out a snort of laughter.

"The fuck?" said Kenta, glaring at Sasuke.

"Go get a life instead of wasting ours." Sasuke said in a calm voice.

Kenta yanked his arm away. "This hasn't got shit to do with you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "When you threaten my friends, it's got everything to do with me."

Kenta gave a derisive laugh and turned to Naruto. "Friends? The freak actually has friends?"

Kiba glared, "A lot more than you have, mate."

Kenta smirked, ignoring Kiba. "You're really brave when you've got a whole gang around you, Uzumaki."

Naruto grit his teeth. "Anytime you want to go one-on-one I'm there."

Neji stood up from the table and Kenta took a notable step back from the Hyuuga, the calm aura creating an intimidating air.

"We could say the same thing for you, Kenta." said Neji. "I can't remember the last time I saw you without your little lackeys." He nodded towards one of the boys standing next to Kenta, a beefy, dark-haired boy with black spidery eyes. "Figured you'd stick around another year, Goro? Graduating didn't sound like fun to you?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, but Neji turned his gaze to the other boy, giving him an appraising look. He was a lanky kid with awkward limbs and mouse-brown hair. "Nice to see you got a replacement for Junichiro though. I guess he had the most brains out of all of you although that's not really saying much, is it."

Kenta sneered, "You guys can play the 'superior' card all you want, but you're the ones hanging out with a murderer, so what does that make you?" He glared at Naruto. "You might have the rest of the school fooled, but someof us still remember what you are, and thistown still knows what you are, so you better watch your step when you've not got your little friends to be your guard dogs, Uzumaki."

Naruto tried to hide it, but Sasuke could see the flinch at the words 'murderer'. The anger boiled in Sasuke's blood, and he barely registered what he was doing as he picked up his own cup of soda and dumped it over Kenta's head. The guy jumped and yelled, shocked for a moment as the cold liquid and ice flowed over his face and down his collar. He stared at Sasuke in surprise for a moment only to be met with two coal-black eyes filled with a calm fury.

Sasuke gave him a cold smile. "Tell me more about how he'd better watch his step."

Kenta swallowed and turned to the other two boys. "Come on, we've wasted enough time with this trash."

"Whoa, nice one, man." said Kiba, wide-eyed, after they'd left. "I didn't know you had that kind of cat fight style in you."

Sasuke picked up his sandwich wrapper. "I don't tolerate idiots."

He glanced at Naruto who was still just staring at him in shock. "Why did you-?" he began, but Sasuke interrupted,

"You shouldn't let them get to you so easily. That's why they keep coming back."

His sage advice didn't have the desired effect. He could practically see Naruto's defenses go up.

"I don't let them get to me."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Come on, you might as well have a banner up advertising your feelings. They're always written all over your face."

Naruto glared at him. "So, you're saying it's _my _fault I get bullied?"

Sasuke could see Neji in the corner of his eye, watching the exchange with a raised brow. Ok, so he was aware he was being a dick, but for some reason, he couldn't stop the words flowing out of his mouth.

He shrugged. "I'm just saying your reactions are so obvious. You make pushing your buttons too easy."

_Like I'm doing now, _he thought.

Naruto gave a disbelieving laugh. "Says the guy who just threw a drink over someone's head." He shook his head. "You're a freaking hypocrite, Sasuke. You honestly think that a poker face and bottling everything up means you're in control? Well, I've got news for you. It doesn't. It just means you get to pretend you are."

With that, Naruto shouldered his bag and walked away. Kiba sent Sasuke a confused look and shrugged before following him. Neji picked up his things and headed in the same direction with an odd smile on his face, leaving Sasuke alone at the table. He picked up a party invitation Ino had left behind and frowned.

He _was_ in control. He _was. _He crushed the invitation in his hand, hearing the crackle of the paper. Uzumaki wouldn't stop him from going to that party. He wouldn't stop him from doing anything. Sasuke Uchiha would show him just how in control he was.

* * *

"So, Sakura." said Ino as she pinned the party invite onto the notice board. "How's it going with Naruto?"

Sakura bit her lip. "He's really nice."

Ino raised a brow. "But?"

Sakura sighed. "Well, I told him from the start that I saw him more as the friend type, but that I'd give it a try." She shuffled the papers in her hands and stared down at them through her long lashes. "I do quite like him, and I think I liked dating him, it's just…I don't know. I don't want to lead him on if this all amounts to nothing, you know?"

Ino stood back and admired her handiwork. The flyer was laid boldly over various other school announcements. She turned to Sakura.

"Well, you're not going to know if you don't try, right? Besides, Naruto knows what he's getting into."

"Doesn't mean he can't still get hurt though, does it." said Sakura, going back to biting her lip.

Ino sent her a flat look. "Is this really only about Naruto?"

Sakura avoided Ino's eyes. "What? Yes. What? What are you talking about?"

Ino folded her arms. "Come on. It's obvious you still have a thing for Sasuke. Everyone knows it, even poor Uzumaki."

Sakura frowned, drawing her pink brows together. "I'm trying, I really am. I want to get over him. I thought dating someone might help that, but now I just feel like it's going to end up hurting Naruto."

"You want my advice?" said Ino.

Sakura nodded.

"Instead of worrying about all the 'could be's' why don't you just enjoy the fact that you're dating a nice guy for now? If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but you should at least wait until you can decide one way or the other, don't you think?"

Sakura nodded. "You're right. We should both just try and enjoy it for what it is. I mean, I've definitely seen some sides of him that I never thought I would."

She blushed as she remembered their kiss.

Ino's eyes widened as she noticed the blush. "You've been holding out on me, Billboardhead! Tell me all the dirty details. Like _now_."

Sakura couldn't help smiling as they walked down the hallways, passing out the flyers to random students and gossiping. She tried to push down her doubts. This party was going to be fun, even if Sasuke wasn't coming, but then maybe that was better. She could try and finally enjoy a night without him on her mind.

* * *

**AN: **FINALLY some SasuNaru, but of course, I still torture you. Don't worry. It will happen. ;) Sorry for the cliffhanger. I would have written more but I'm sick at the moment.


	8. Fear of Rejection

**AN:** Don't hate me! I wanted to put the party into this next chapter. _AnnandRachie_ had a good point about flow and I think it works better here. PLUS, I changed the scene a little. This was the way it was originally written. I was going to make it into two seperate scenes, but I think it flows better this way. I want the last chapter to explode into smithereens and burn horribly before my eyes because I hate it so much, but hey, my inspiration has come back a little, so hopefully my writing will improve. Seriously, I was not able to write last week, don't know what happened.

After a little advice from someone (who shall remain nameless in case anyone tries to kill them), I've decided that when I REALLY have writer's block, I will not update, but I will ALWAYS put up an announcement saying that it's delayed OR I will simply work on another story and post that up. I read this awesome doujinshi lately and I seriously just HAVE to write a story for it (it didn't have enough of an ending). I must. So that first chapter will be going up soon. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll be interested to know what you think of the changes. Thanks again for all reviews and to guests, I thank you here because you're awesome and I can't reply to you, but I read and grin like a maniac when I see your reviews too. :D Ok, I'ma let you read now.

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 8: Fear of Rejection

"_You will find peace, not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory._"

~ J. Donald Walters

* * *

Things were in full swing by the time Sasuke arrived. Music pumped through a large black stereo system in the living room and high school students from sophomores to seniors crowded out the house. Ino did always know how to throw a wild party.

_If her parents only knew._

He was pretty sure they still saw her as their little blonde angel. A keg was stacked in the corner connected to a hose, and some idiotic seniors were egging on a little freshman to drink from it upside down. Morons.

He made his way through the crowd, starting to wonder why he had come. He didn't like parties, and there was no one he wanted to see here. He saw a flash of blond hair through the crowd and automatically began to make his way towards it. After all, he was in control. He curled his fingers into the palms of his hands, feeling the nails dig into his flesh. He hadn't talked to Naruto in three days. It was time to show that he could see him without feeling like he was going to explode. This would be easy.

Sasuke saw a familiar bob of pink hair in the kitchen talking with a group of people and tapped the creamy-white shoulder.

Sakura turned around and gaped, "Sasuke, I thought you weren't coming."

Sasuke looked around the room with a bored expression, avoiding looking at Naruto who stood next to his date. "I changed my mind."

Sakura fiddled with her hair, "Well, it's nice that you came."

Naruto's smile tightened. "Yeah, great."

Sakura glanced nervously at the blond teen and back at Sasuke, "Uh, if you want a drink there are some beers in the-"

"Aaay, Sasukeeeh!" cried Kiba, throwing an arm around him as he wandered off the dance floor. "What're you doing here, you grumpy sonuvabitch?"

Sasuke shrugged off the arm. "How many beers have you had, Kiba?"

"Pfft, just four." replied Kiba with a huge grin. "Gotta get my courage up to talk to that beauty over there." Hinata stood in the corner nervously next to Neji who was utterly ignoring her as he talked to a petite brunette he could only assume to be the infamous Tenten. Kiba shot Hinata a devilish smile. Her eyes widened and she blushed, looking away.

"I can tell it's going to go very smoothly." said Sasuke.

"You betcha." replied Kiba, and he picked up a can of beer from the kitchen counter. "You want one?"

"Don't be stupid, Kiba." said Naruto, butting in. "Uchiha is a better person than us. He doesn't drink lowly alcohol." He took a gulp of his own beer and glared at Sasuke.

Sasuke raised a brow. Was he seriously challenging him? The idiot should know better.

"Goes to show how little you know about me, Uzumaki. I could drink you under the table if I wanted to."

Naruto snorted. "Hah! Yeah, right. You wanna put it to the test?"

"Hey, let's just enjoy the party, Naruto." said Sakura, putting a hand on his arm. "This isn't necessary. How about we go and dance?" Naruto pulled away, not even looking at her.

"No, he's always mouthing off. I want to see if he can put his money where his mouth is."

"Oh, we got a drinking contest going on up in heeeere!" shouted Kiba, raising his arms and pointing at the two teens, who stood glaring at each other. A couple of people turned around at the noise. Neji glanced over and shook his head in despair.

"Line up the beers, people." said Kiba. Shino pulled a six pack out of the fridge and Kiba handed Sasuke a beer who took it, still maintaining perfect eye contact with Naruto. His heart was beating quickly, but the rest of him was as calm as a millpond. Yes, he was in control.

His grip tightened around the beer can he held and he smirked. "Let's go, Naruto…if you're up for it."

Naruto pulled open the metal tab on his own can with a crack and a hiss of air. He met Sasuke's gaze dead on. "I'm up for it, Uchiha. Let's see who's left standing."

The two boys raised their beers and knocked them together as if having a friendly 'cheers', but the looks on their faces spoke of anything but friendship as they tried to stare one another down.

"This is so stupid." said Sakura. She turned as Ino approached with a curious stare. "What's going on?"

"You don't want to know." She replied, folding her arms with a sigh.

"Ready?" said Kiba, lifting his arm in the air between the two boys as if starting a race. "Three, two, one…driiiink!"

* * *

Naruto gulped at the bubbly liquid, letting it pour down his throat, all the while not taking his eyes off Sasuke's. That bastard was going down…

Eight beers later and the music seemed to be pounding its rhythm inside Naruto's head. He felt lightheaded and just a little sick as he glared at Sasuke and swayed just a little. Sasuke, for his part, still stood straight and sure, but his eyes were glazed.

"That …that all you got?" asked Naruto a slight slur to his tone. He reached out to pick up another can, but missed it somehow.

A hand touched his arm. He looked up expecting to see Sakura, but it was Ino, her face unsmiling.

"That's enough. How about we stop this now?" she said. You guys are just going to end up puking all over my house and I don't really want to have to explain the carpet stains to my parents on Monday.

Naruto blinked. "Where's Sak'ra?"

Ino folded her arms. "She left when you started acting like an idiot."

"Wha? But I…" He stared around the room. Sakura was talking in the corner with that bowl-cut kid, Rock Lee. She glanced in his direction, catching his eye, but quickly looked away again.

Naruto felt sick, a heavy weight pressing down on his chest. He turned towards Sasuke with a glare. "See what you did? Sometimes I really fucking hate you, man."

Sasuke 's eyes held shock for just a moment, but it quickly faded behind a calm façade.

Naruto wanted to scream.

Why did this guy keep messing things up for him? Was it his evil dastardly plan to get in the way of Naruto's love life? It made him sick just thinking about.

Then he felt really, physically sick. His stomach churned and his chest heaved slightly. Naruto grabbed Ino's arm.

"Ino, where's your bathroom?"

Her pale blue eyes widened. "Oh no, Naruto. Please don't say you're going to be sick."

Naruto groaned, holding his stomach. "Just tell me where it is."

Ino sighed and pointed towards the hallway. "Upstairs on the left, second door."

Naruto turned and ran out of the room, dashing up the stairs. The world was spinning and he was vaguely aware of the curious glances and knowing smiles passing by in a sea of blurred faces as he ran. He got to the door and opened it. Thank goodness it was unoccupied. He ran over to the toilet and took a few deep breaths. He wasn't going to be sick if he could help it. The dizziness passed a little and he walked over to the sink, taking a few gulps of water.

"I told you you couldn't hold your alcohol." said a monotone voice.

Naruto looked up. Sasuke stood in the doorway, his hair slightly disheveled and his eyes glazed. The annoying bastard looked like he'd just rolled out of bed as a fully-formed sex god. Man, Naruto hated him. Sasuke stepped inside and closed the door.

"You ok?"

Naruto glared at him. "What do you care? This is your fault, you bastard."

Sasuke returned the glare. He stumbled slightly as he took a step toward him, but quickly righted himself. "No one made you drink. Besides, this was your idea. Not my fault you're crap at holding your alcohol."

Naruto straightened up, turning his back to the sink. He felt slightly clearer after the water although still a bit sick, and the room was still swaying, but at least it was no longer spinning. The muffled beat of the music downstairs pulsed through the floor.

Naruto suddenly became aware that Sasuke had taken a few more steps towards him and was now very close. In fact, he could feel the heat of his body just a couple of inches away.

He looked him straight in the eye. There was an odd look swirling in those dark depths.

"What're you-?"

"I was doing you a favor." said Sasuke, his voice low and husky.

"The hell are you talking about?"

Sasuke frowned. "I…realized that you should be with someone who genuinely likes you. You and I both know Sakura isn't that person."

He reached up, his hand going towards Naruto's face.

Naruto pushed Sasuke's hand away. "Ever heard of personal space?"

The other teen let his arm drop by his side, but he didn't move away, a determined glint in his eye.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Maybe she's not right for me, but at least I'm trying which is more than you do. You just write everyone off."

Sasuke's eyes flicked down to Naruto's lips while he spoke.

"Are you even listening to me?" said Naruto.

His eyes shot back up to meet Naruto's. "I don't write everyone off."

Watching Sasuke's eyes made the room spin more. Naruto leaned back against the sink and sighed.

"Geez, you're drunk too, aren't you? And me?" He gave a harsh laugh and stared at the ground miserably. "I've blown it with Sakura."

"You're always talking about her." said Sasuke with a growl to his voice, and he reached up again, this time grabbing Naruto's shirt, almost using him for support.

Naruto frowned and slapped Sasuke weakly on the shoulder. It was meant to be a punch, but his arm didn't quite move properly. It felt heavy.

"That's 'cos I'm dating her, stoopid. It's called liking someone, not that you'd know what that's like."

Naruto stiffened in surprise as Sasuke stumbled against him, dropping his head suddenly and burrowing his face in Naruto's shoulder.

"I know what that's like." Sasuke mumbled into Naruto's shirt. "I know it all too well. I fucking wish I didn't."

He looked up again, staring intensely into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto blinked slowly, trying to stop the world from swaying around him in a molten mass.

"Yyyou…" He stopped, his mouth not quite forming the words properly. It felt numb, and an odd heavy feeling stirred in his chest. "You like someone? Who?"

Sasuke sighed. Naruto could feel the faint puff of breath on his skin.

"Are you really that dumb?" said Sasuke.

Naruto's brain clicked slowly into place.

He glared at Sasuke. "I knew it. It'sss Sakura, isn't it? That's why you've been trying to…" He hiccupped. "…steal her.

Sasuke pulled back a few inches, disbelief written all over his face, and he tightened his grip on Naruto's shirt collar, shaking him slightly. "Are you insane? How many times do I have to tell you, I don't like Sakura!"

Naruto didn't back down. He met Sasuke's intense gaze head-on, their faces only inches apart. "Then why do you keep showing up on our dates? Why do you keep getting mad at me every time I talk about her? Why do you keep telling me we're not right for each other? I'll tell you why. Because you're jealous. You're fucking jealous, Sasuke, even if you don't want to admit it."

He flashed Sasuke a triumphant grin.

_Argue against that, turdbrain._

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm jealous of you? Is that what you think? You think I want Sakura?"

"Yeah, I do." said Naruto, folding his arms and sticking out his chin.

Sasuke pulled him forward until their noses were practically touching, making Naruto falter slightly and grab Sasuke's arms to keep his balance.

"Then I'll prove to you I don't." Sasuke said.

Naruto could feel his warm breath on his skin. He frowned in confusion.

"What do you me-?"

But before he could finish, Sasuke closed the few millimeters between them. Naruto could only stand there in drunken shock as he felt a surprisingly soft pair of lips descend on his own. His eyes closed automatically, and the room seemed to spin even more behind his closed lids, only feeling sheer sensation. His mind wouldn't work. Confusion whirled inside his head making him dizzy, and the power of rational thought seemed to have flown away. He leaned back slightly, feeling the hard, cold surface of the sink dig into his back and he vaguely registered that something strange was going on as the kiss became more insistent, the lips pressing harder. Then he felt a wet tongue swipe against his lower lip. His eyes shot open and he found himself looking at Sasuke's dark lashes, felt them tickling his cheek, the other teen's eyes firmly closed. And that's when the situation became clear in Naruto's drunken mind, the realization pouring over him like a bucket of ice cold water.

Sasuke was kissing him. He was _kissing_ him.

He tore away, jerking his head sharply to one side and shoved the other teen as hard as he could, almost falling over himself from the force, but was supported by the sink behind him. Sasuke stumbled back barely staying upright, and stared at him in shock.

"What're you doing?"

Naruto wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"What am I doing? What am _I_ doing?" repeated Naruto. "What the flying fuck are_ you _doing?"

For the first time that Naruto had ever seen, Sasuke looked…bewildered, as close to a child as he had ever seen. His eyes darted around the room. "I…"

Then his gaze settled back on Naruto and he frowned, that arrogant, all-knowing look settling back into place. "I was kissing you."

Naruto was sure his head was going to explode. "I know _that! _I mean…I mean…" He cast around, searching for the words that wouldn't come before settling on the one simple question roaring in his brain. "Why?"

Sasuke took a few steps closer causing Naruto to try and retreat, but his escape was blocked by an inconveniently-placed, unyielding porcelain sink.

"I told you I don't like Sakura." said Sasuke in a quiet voice.

Naruto frowned as these words sank slowly into his mind. _Don't like Sakura…don't like Sakura…_

It took a few moments for the drunken gears to grind into place before his eyes widened in realization and he stared dumbfounded at his best friend.

"You mean…" began Naruto.

The dark-haired teen pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's you, idiot. I like you."

And the world seemed to freeze inside Naruto, yet melt around him at the same time as Naruto stared into Sasuke's storm-filled eyes. He was looking for the lie, or for Sasuke to burst out laughing and say it was all a joke, but he just stood there. His eyes were still glazed from the alcohol in his system and his cheeks were flushed, but his expression remained a passive mask, just watching.

"I like you." He repeated and raised his hand to touch Naruto's cheek. Naruto stood stock still as the hand caressed his skin. He could only stare at Sasuke in utter shock, gripping onto the edge of the sink behind him, completely paralyzed as the other teen's warm body moved closer against his.

He saw Sasuke hesitate for only a moment as he brought his face nearer once again, eyes looking into Naruto's as if asking permission. Naruto felt his breathing quicken as Sasuke's eyes flicked towards his mouth. He wanted to say something, anything that would make all of this slow down and stop so that he could think, just think about this, but his mind wasn't working, and then before he could form the words or even the thoughts, Sasuke lowered his lips to capture Naruto's own.

Sasuke was more insistent this time, more desperate, deepening the kiss and pulling Naruto closer to him in a tight hold. Naruto put his hands up against Sasuke's chest, pushing back, his mind faintly apprehending that if he wasn't so drunk he would be stronger and able to control his body properly.

He felt Sasuke's hands curl around his wrists stopping him from pushing, and his back was pressed against the sink, bending his upper half painfully over it. He screwed his eyes shut. He was unbalanced, unable to move.

Apprehension began to creep up Naruto's spine like an ice cold spider. He was drunk, he realized, utterly vulnerable, and the force of the touches began to feel too familiar as Sasuke's hand let go of his wrist and wandered to the back of his neck, pushing up through his hair and pulling Naruto deeper against him. Naruto's kept his eyes shut tight and he was sure he was going to be sick as the face of Orochimaru flashed through his mind, those sickly yellow eyes and that pale smile, smirking at him.

That was when Naruto's mind kicked into gear and he brought his knee up as hard as he could.

Sasuke let go immediately and fell to the ground with a groan, clutching his crotch. He looked up at Naruto, giving him an accusing stare through pain-filled eyes.

"What did you do that for?" His voice was tight with pain.

Naruto could barely speak. The cold apprehension faded as he stared down at the indignant Sasuke only for it to be replaced by a rage hotter than molten lava. "Why the hell do you_ think_, you fucking pervert? What the hell was that?"

Sasuke got slowly to his feet, using the towel rail to help him. He was bent over slightly. "Ugh, you didn't have to do that. You could've just asked me to stop."

"And how the fuck was I supposed to do that with you blocking my air supply?"

Sasuke frowned. It was clear the thought hadn't crossed his mind. "I guess I got carried away."

He straightened up. "I just wanted to prove to you…" He reached out his hand, but Naruto slapped it away.

"Don't fucking touch me." He said, glaring at Sasuke with as much hatred as he could muster. Sasuke pulled back as if he'd been stung.

"Don't touch me." repeated Naruto. "Don't talk to me. Don't even look at me. I don't want to see your face ever again."

And with those words, he shoved past Sasuke, yanked open the bathroom door and ran as fast as his unsteady legs would carry him.

He was vaguely aware of Sasuke shouting his name from the bathroom, but he didn't stop. He had to get out. He had to get out of this confusing place. The pumping beat of the music hit him afresh, filling his ears with the pulsating bass, and he stumbled down the stairs, clinging onto the banister and ignoring the looks he drew from the few people walking past him. A small romance was blossoming on the bottom step between a couple of teenagers, and Naruto didn't even mumble an apology as he knocked into them, earning himself a nasty look from the guy. He had to get out. He ran straight past the entrance to the living room where he glimpsed a mass of drunken teenagers partying in full swing, laughing, and gyrating to the beat, and he headed straight for the front door and out into the night. The cold air hit his face and he almost fell over as he stumbled down the front steps, but with the cold air, his head cleared a little, and then the night's events became that much clearer too. He bit his lip as he ran headlong into the darkness. This couldn't be right. Sasuke, his best friend had kissed him. His best friend liked him.

He had to get home, get somewhere safe. He had to just get out of here.

* * *

"Have you seen Naruto?" asked Sasuke limping quickly up to Sakura and Ino. He leaned onto the kitchen counter next to him for support. Naruto's kick to the groin had really done a number on him.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you ok, Sasuke? You look hurt."

"I'm fine." said Sasuke shortly. "Have you seen Naruto?"

The girl frowned. "No, I thought he went to the bathroom."

"Weren't you just there?" asked Ino, raising a brow.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and looked quickly around the room. Crap. This was bad. Where had that idiot gone?

"Yeah. He bolted though. I need to find him before he does something stupid."

"What?" asked Sakura in surprise, putting her drink down on the counter. "Why would he do something stupid? What's going on?"

"It's nothing." said Sasuke, glancing at her distractedly only to see her wide green eyes filled with concern as she too began searching around the room for a sign of the blonde-haired teen.

He swallowed. Ok, so he felt a bit guilty now. He had just been upstairs kissing her date and trying to convince him to break up with her. What was he supposed to tell her? Yeah, I just practically forced your date into a make-out session and then he ran away. The dizzy high of the alcohol had been quickly fading since Naruto's, shall we say, strong reaction (his privates were still screaming in protest at the pain) and hasty exit, bringing Sasuke back down to earth with a very sobering thump.

"We just…had an argument." He said with a sigh. Where had that idiot gone? Sasuke gritted his teeth. The look on Naruto's face when he'd bolted – it had been sheer terror. Sasuke rubbed a hand over his face. Man, he had messed up. Why had he even done that? What had come over him? One minute he was wanting to punch some sense into Naruto for acting like a girl on PMS, then the next - it was like every other rational thought in his mind had faded away to oblivion.

"Let's split up and look." said Ino, interrupting his thoughts.

Sasuke was about to agree when Kiba stormed up to them, his face like thunder. "I am going to kill Naruto when I see him on Monday."

"What happened?" asked Sakura.

"I was finally managing to have some alone time with Hinata," Kiba slammed his fist on the counter. "Then freaking Naruto shoved into me on his way down the stairs, making me spill my drink all over her. It was so bleeding embarrassing. Completely ruined the moment. He is going to pay."

"Did you see which way he went?" asked Sasuke.

Kiba stared at him. "Did you even hear what I said? My chance was totally ruined, man. It'll be a million years before I manage to talk to her without that freaky, bodyguard cousin attached to her hip sending me his death glares."

Sasuke grabbed Kiba's t-shirt and pushed him against the fridge, making the boy's eyes widen in surprise. "Did you see where he went?" asked Sasuke again through gritted teeth.

Kiba just stared at him in shock for a moment before gesturing back to the way he had come. "Straight out the front door."

His expression turned grumpy as Sasuke released him and he smoothed down his t-shirt. "Geez, take a chill pill, mate."

Sasuke ignored him and turned to an extremely surprised-looking Sakura, holding out his hand towards her. "Lend me your phone."

Sakura nodded, not even questioning at the commanding tone in Sasuke's voice. She dug out her white flip cellphone from her bag, the cupcake phone charm jingling as she handed it over. Sasuke flipped it open and quickly found Naruto among the contacts. There was no way Naruto would pick up if he tried calling him right now, but maybe if he thought it was Sakura…

He lifted the phone to his ear and tried to listen to the faint ringing, but the music was still pumping loudly in the living room and he could barely hear anything let alone whether or not Naruto was picking up.

"I'm taking this outside." He said to Sakura who just nodded dumbly, three pairs of eyes watching him exit the room, the phone still held to his ear.

* * *

Naruto panted for breath as he ran and sweat was beading on his brow. He hadn't stopped running since he'd left Ino's house and the world was passing by in a drunken blur, but somehow he had made it back to his own neighborhood. True, it wasn't far, but a part of him was still mildly surprised he'd made it here. He couldn't remember the journey at all, only the accompanying feeling of fear, the feeling that some invisible entity was chasing him. Or Sasuke. He wasn't sure which idea terrified him more right now.

He ran up the garden path to his own house, stopping at the front door, and leaning down on his knees. His breath came out in short gasps and he was pretty sure he was either going to faint from lack of oxygen to the brain or pass out in a drunken stupor. He was saved from collapsing on his own front door step when the door itself opened, and Iruka stood there, staring at him in surprise.

"Naruto. I thought I heard someone." He said and then frowned at the boy's condition. "Are you all right? You don't look well."

Naruto tried to reply, but his body had other priorities. He clutched his stomach with a groan and vomited. Iruka took a quick step back as it spattered on the stone path, but quickly went over to Naruto and held his arm to support him.

"What on earth has happened? I thought you were out with your friends tonight."

"Uhm sorry, 'ruka." said Naruto, and Iruka's eyes widened in surprise.

"Have you been drinking, Naruto?" he said, but there was no question in his tone. Naruto realized he must reek of alcohol. He pulled his arm away and tried to stumble inside.

"Got to go to bed." He said, but his legs wouldn't quite work properly. His head felt slightly clearer though after being sick, and as he made his way gamely to the stairs he found his way blocked by an angry-looking Iruka. No, angry wasn't the word. The man was livid. Iruka's arms were folded, his dark brows drawn together into a thunderous look, and his eyes, those usually soft, caring brown eyes, were glaring a hole into Naruto's own.

"Get to the sofa. Now." he said, his voice tight.

Naruto blinked, trying to take in the situation. "I-" he began, but Iruka cut him off short, he grabbed his arm and dragged him through to the living room, sitting him down on the couch, before pacing in front of him like a tiger. Naruto tried to follow the movements, but it made him feel sick again to watch, so he just stared numbly ahead, holding his stomach. He could hear the words though. Each one battering into his already aching head.

"What on earth are you doing coming home in this state?" asked Iruka, pacing back and forth, fixing Naruto with an angry glare every now and again. "What do you think you're doing drinking alcohol? You know you're underage. This is completely unacceptable, Naruto. Do you realize that it's illegal?" He paused and looked at Naruto who was ignoring him, looking straight ahead. "Are you even listening to me?"

He stopped and bent down in front of Naruto's passive gaze, holding his shoulders and forcing him to look at him. "Look at me. What on earth were you thinking?"

Naruto frowned. He hadn't been thinking. It was… a party. After all that had happened tonight, drinking a bit of beer was the least of his worries. Ok, so maybe he'd gotten a little carried away with the drinking challenge.

"It's no big deal, Iruka." He heard his mouth say, "It was just a bit of beer."

Iruka's eyes widened and looked like he was about to have a hernia. A vein stood out on his forehead and his mouth opened and shut a few times making him look very much like a surprised fish

"No big deal?" He said finally, the words almost a whisper before he repeated himself, rising in volume. "No big deal? NO BIG DEAL? Of course it's a big deal!"

He straightened up. "Naruto, what if the police had come? You could have been arrested. Is that something you want on your record, something you want following you for the rest of your life?" He let his arms fall at his side. "Aren't you the one who's always saying you want to become mayor of this town? How do you expect to do something like that when you're satisfied with throwing everything you worked for away for such a small and stupid thing?"

Iruka shook his head and put a hand to his temple. "I thought you wanted to be better than this."

Naruto's head was spinning, but a hot poker of anger shot through him at those words. It wasn't fair. He had had a crappy night. Hell, he had had a crappy life. So what if he wanted a little alcohol? Everyone else at the party had been drinking it and he was sure as hell that they weren't getting any lectures right now. Who was Iruka to be telling him what he should and shouldn't do?

Naruto stood up, swaying slightly and looked the man in the eye. "What I do with my life has got nothing to do with you." He heard himself say. It was like the words were disjointed from the rational party of Naruto's brain. He could hear himself speaking, could feel the emotions flowing through him, yet a small distant part of his brain was yelling at him to stop only to be smothered by a blanket of hot rage. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it as he glared at his guardian.

"It's got nothing to do with you." he repeated harshly.

* * *

Iruka frowned down at the boy scowling back at him.

"What are you talking about?" said Iruka. "It's got everything to do with me. I'm your guardian."

"Yeah, well, you're not my dad." The boy spat out.

Iruka's eyes widened in surprise at the hostility, and he said nothing for a moment before replying in a firm voice. "I know I'm not your father, but while you're under my roof, you'll do as I say. That means not a single drop of alcohol will touch your lips without my permission until you're 18."

Naruto stuck out his chin. "And if I don't do as you say?"

Iruka frowned. Seeing Naruto in this drunken state was almost painful. The happy mask had completely slipped off, leaving in its wake a hostile and angry teenager, and Iruka wasn't sure now if he was grateful to finally see the mask gone or not.

"Why are you doing this, Naruto?" asked Iruka softly. "Why are you behaving this way?"

Naruto drew back slightly and looked away. "I'm not doing anything. You're the one who's butting into things that are none of your business." He mumbled.

Iruka sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I know that things have been hard for you in the past, and I've been trying to help you through it, but how am I supposed to do that if you keep shutting me out?"

The teenager took a defensive step back, his legs apart as if readying himself to run. "Well if I'm such a burden to you, why don't you just throw me out already?"

That stopped Iruka in his tracks and he stared at Naruto in surprise. "Why on earth would I throw you out?"

"Why not?" replied Naruto. "That's what my last guardian did whenever I pissed him off, and the children's home director when I got into fights."

Naruto gritted his teeth trying to look like he didn't care, but Iruka could see the pain shining in his eyes.

I know you don't really want me here." said Naruto. "You've regretted it since the day I moved in, right?" He didn't wait for answer as he continued, "I tried to be good enough, tried to be the perfect kid, but let's face it, all I'll ever be is a problem."

He trailed off, staring at the floor for a moment before squaring his shoulders and fixing Iruka with an angry gaze. "So if you want to throw me out, Iruka, go ahead. It's not like I care. You'd be doing me a favor. Just get it over with so we can stop this stupid act. I'll never be your perfect kid, and you can't fix me, so just give it a rest."

Iruka felt a pang of pain shoot through him. as the realization sank in. So that was it. All this time – the polite wall of reserve that had been between him and Naruto - this had been the real reason for its presence.

He took a step towards Naruto who flinched and took an automatic step back only to have his exit blocked by the sofa. He glanced behind him before meeting Iruka's gaze, and Iruka for his part smiled and put his hands gently on Naruto's shoulders. He looked him square in the eye and said, "Naruto, no matter what you do. No matter what tricks you pull, or nightmares you have or rules you break, I will never, _never _throw you out. Whatever you become in the future and whatever you do, you will always be welcome in this home. Do you understand me?"

Naruto stared at him and Iruka could see the shadows of disbelief lurking in his eyes.

"You're lying." He whispered.

Iruka smiled. "I'm not lying. You can test me on it if you like, although," He let go of Naruto and grinned ruefully, rubbing the back of his head. "Of course, I'd prefer it if you didn't. It would make my life a lot easier."

Naruto frowned. "What if I keep drinking?"

Iruka sighed. "I'll be disappointed, but I won't throw you out."

Naruto bit his lip and his eyes became shiny with unshed tears as Iruka put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll change your mind in future."

Iruka shook his head. "I won't."

Naruto wiped a sleeve across his eyes, avoiding Iruka's gaze.

"I just want to be normal." He said at last in a voice barely above a whisper, "I want to be strong. All I do is fail at everything."

Iruka felt like his heart was going to break clean in two.

"I know, Naruto." he replied gently, "But remember, there is no normal. Some people have things easier, some people have it worse, but everyone has their problems that they need to work through. The only difference between the weak and the strong is that one gives up where the other doesn't. Don't give up and believe me, you will get through this. And I'll help you in any way I can."

A couple of tears slipped down Naruto's cheeks and he sniffed, rubbing his nose as it began to run.

Iruka grabbed a tissue from the coffee table, handing it to the boy who took it gratefully and blew his nose.

"Ahm sorry, Iruka."

"It's ok." Iruka replied with a gentle smile. "Just promise me you won't go drinking again, at least, not until you're 18. I don't mind it if it's in this house where I can monitor you, but I don't want you going out and doing that again, ok?"

Naruto nodded and hiccupped, wiping at his eyes. "I don't want to anyway. It makes me act like an idiot."

He swallowed and looked up. "My last guardian always drank too. I hated him when he was like that."

Naruto sniffed and rubbed his nose, looking back at Iruka. He gave the man a small smile, and Iruka felt like he was going to burst with pride. It was the first genuine smile he'd seen in a long time. It was small, but he finally felt a glimpse of hope for the future.

"Come on." He said, putting an arm around Naruto. "Let's get you to bed, ok?"

Naruto stumbled slightly as Iruka guided him from the room. "That's probably a-" He hiccupped. "-a good idea."


	9. New Resolutions

**AN:** Just call me Old Faithful. Still uploading chapters weekly like a boss. xD

Thanks to you all for the reviews again! You are the reason I try so hard to upload weekly. Oh, and late happy birthday, OreoCookie! Hope you had a good one. :D (And thanks for your review. Made me happier than the month of May.)

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 9: New Resolutions

_"It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions."_

~ Jim Rohn

* * *

Naruto cracked open his eyes. They were so dry he might as well have been sleeping under a hair dryer. He smacked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. It felt thick, and the disgusting taste of alcohol and vomit assaulted his taste buds. What he wouldn't give for a bit of water. He could down the entire Niagara Falls right now and it still wouldn't be enough.

He groaned and tried to lift his head. It throbbed in protest. Man, his entire brain ached. He flopped back down and instead turned his head, the white pillow stirring beneath him. There on the bedside table was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen – a tall glass of water, two aspirin and his black touch phone.

_Iruka,_ he thought with a smile, and reached out for the aspirin. He popped them into his mouth and raised his head again, this time ignoring the pain. Raising the glass to his mouth, he poured the deliciously refreshing liquid of life into his mouth, enjoying the cool sensation as it streamed down his throat. Water was seriously the best thing in the world.

He fell back onto the pillow with a sigh. That felt so freaking good. He must have drunk so much last night. It was all a fuzzy blur. He remembered coming home and that big row with Iruka. He lifted a hand to his hot forehead. Man, he would have to apologize properly now that he was sober. Yet the strange thing was, he felt oddly clean, like someone had washed him with water from the inside out. Was that how it felt to confide in someone? The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly as he thought about it. Iruka really was the best guardian ever.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see a small green light flashing on his phone. He threw his arm out of the covers once again and picked it up. Touching the screen, he unlocked it with the slide of his thumbs and then froze as the message came up on the display.

Ten missed calls from Sakura Haruno.

Naruto shot up in bed, ignoring the pangs of pain that shot through his head like lightning. Fuck! He had left her there at the party. He had just run home without even saying goodbye or walking her home or anything. What on earth had he been thinking?

Naruto tapped the missed call button and lifted the phone to his ear as it began calling Sakura. He rubbed his face. Man, she must be livid. He didn't even know what he was going to say. _Sorry, I was just so shocked after I-_

Naruto dropped the phone on the bed. It landed with a muffled thump and the sound of a robotic voice rose from the tinny speaker of his phone, but it didn't even register as the night's events became clear in his mind.

Last night , in the bathroom he had - he and Sasuke had - they had _kissed._

Naruto pressed the cancel button on his phone, ending the call before it could beep to a message. He put it back on the table and just stared ahead of him in shock.

Sasuke had kissed him last night. The ghost of his lips still floated over Naruto's own and he touched his fingers to his mouth. Without thinking, he licked his lower lip, remembering the warm swipe of the other boy's tongue. His cheeks heated up as he realized what he had just done and he clapped a hand over his mouth.

Sasuke had kissed him last night. Sasuke had told him he liked him. What the hell was he supposed to think of that? It was Sasuke Uchiha for crying out loud, his bastard of a best friend.

Naruto groaned and fell back onto the pillow, raising the comforter to cover his face and hiding in its folds as more and more details began to march to the forefront of his mind. His best friend had told him he liked him and what had he done? Kicked him in the groin and told him never to speak to him. That was…really harsh. But, surely, Sasuke had just said something like that because he was drunk. They were caught up in the moment, right? Or had the alcohol brought out the truth? Naruto screwed his eyes shut trying to block out the thoughts and turned, burying his face into the pillow, wishing he could just get lost in a white world of fluffiness.

What must Sasuke think of him now?

* * *

Sasuke lay prone on his dark blue double bed staring straight up at the white ceiling. He had been this way for who knows how long, last night's events running over and over in his head. It was weird. He'd gotten home, drunk two jugs of water, stripped down to his boxers and then almost immediately fallen asleep, passing out under the influence of the alcohol. Guess it had affected him more than he'd thought.

But then this morning his body had had the cruelty to wake him up at the ungodly hour of 6 A.M. to pee. Since then he'd lain on his bed just thinking, or rather, trying not to think, but he couldn't stop his mind from going over and over that moment in the bathroom. Him kissing Naruto, Naruto kissing back for that one moment. Maybe it was the alcohol, but in that moment it had felt like the world had finally clicked into place, making sense, and hope had surged in his chest brighter than the sun. Then came the rejection, the pain and worst of all, the look of sheer hatred on his friend's face as he ran away. The world had turned black from there on in.

Sasuke sighed and raised his hand up, tracing the dark cracked patterns on the ceiling in the air with his finger.

Naruto hated him now. What had he been thinking to kiss another guy? To kiss Naruto of all people. Of course he would hate him. This wasn't normal. Would his parents even approve of this kind of thing?

Sasuke let his arm fall back, covering his eyes with his hand.

What was with all this uncertainty, this weakness? This wasn't like him. He wasn't used to this.

He opened his eyes, moving his hand away and frowned at the ceiling. No, he was Sasuke Uchiha. Confident and sure.

Sasuke sat up and looked at the family picture on his nightstand, the only one not marred by his hated brother's presence.

"What should I do?" he asked the two dignified figures staring back at him from the frame. His father's arm was around his mother, his face straight and unsmiling, but there was an inkling of pride shining in his eyes. His mother, for her part, was smiling softly, her dark eyes full of warmth. The two were such opposites.

Sasuke had asked his father once how he had proposed to his mother. Sitting around the table, his mother had laughed quietly.

"_Actually, I wasn't interested in your father at first. It took a lot of convincing."_

_The man gave Sasuke a smug smile as he put his arm around his wife. _

"_The day I realized I loved her was the day she had no choice but to marry me. I did everything to make her mine. That's what Uchihas do. We stop at nothing."_

_He looked fondly at his wife and she returned the loving gaze with a smile. "You always were so overconfident." she said, pushing him lightly._

Sasuke stared at the photo of his serious-looking parents. That had been the only time he could ever remember seeing their soft side, the real feelings behind the stiff, proud masks they so often wore.

He tightened his fists as he looked at the picture. That's right. He was an Uchiha, not a common coward with a weak heart. This whole time he'd been questioning himself and his feelings when the situation was clear. Screw the uncertainty. Screw the weakness, and screw what the rest of the world might think. Uchihas stopped at nothing.

Sasuke clenched his fists and rolled out of bed, planting his feet firmly on the thick blue carpet. He stood up, facing the wall opposite the bed and glowered at the invisible nemesis in his mind's eye.

It was time for Naruto to find out just what Uchihas were capable of. It was time to make Naruto forget all about Sakura Haruno.

* * *

Steam poured out of the coffee machine, almost burning Naruto's face as he changed the filter and shut the plastic black lid with a click. He glared at the stupid machine. It was always malfunctioning. Picking up his plastic tray, he threw a towel over his arm and ventured into the main area of the café in search of used dishes and trash scattered on the small islands of wooden coffee tables. It was pretty quiet now, the lunch rush hour long since over and Naruto was trying to get as much sorted as possible before the next one hit. Ino and the rest of the staff were taking a break in the back while he handled things. Man, he couldn't wait till his break came round. His head was pounding and he felt tired to the point of nausea. All day he'd been nipping into the back for water to try and quench his never-ending thirst. Thank goodness he was on the afternoon and evening shift. Working mornings would have killed him today.

He bent over to pick up a half-full coffee mug. His head gave a particularly large pang, and he let out a soft groan of pain.

"Another bad day?" said a smooth voice, catching his attention.

Naruto looked up. Hisao sat in his usual large green armchair holding a white porcelain coffee cup. The man was almost hidden in the conclave of a small alcove. If he hadn't spoken, Naruto wouldn't have even noticed him. He smirked at Naruto's surprised look and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Oh, hi." said Naruto, then eyed the pack in Hisao's hand. "Uh, sorry, but you can't actually smoke here."

The man completely ignored him, pulling out a thin, white cigarette and snapping the lighter. He held the flame up to the end and lit it. Smoke began to rise and the dark end glowed a bright orange as it burned.

Naruto furrowed his brow. His boss would get mad if she saw a customer smoking in here. He walked over to the man, standing in front of the opposite chair, their distance divided by the black coffee table.

"I'm sorry, Hisao, but you-" he began.

"What happened with your little friend?" interrupted the man.

Naruto bit his lip and glanced at the counter. His boss wasn't there. He turned back to Hisao. "Which friend?"

"The one who was after your girl." replied Hisao.

"Oh," said Naruto, his face reddening as heat crept up his cheeks. "Uh, turns out he wasn't after her."

Hisao raised a brow. "Oh?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, the heat in his face now threatening to turn him into a walking tomato. "Yeah, uh, turns out it was me he liked."

Hisao didn't even blink. "I thought as much."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. "How could you know? I didn't even know."

The man grinned. "Call it intuition. From what you were saying, I figured it couldn't be as simple as you said."

He gestured to the chair behind Naruto. "Take a seat. Seems to me like you got some issues going on."

Naruto raised a brow. "What are you? My therapist now?"

The man shrugged, lifting the cigarette to his lips.

"Better than nothing." he said before inhaling the smoke.

Naruto glanced around the café. Barely any customers were in and they were all either reading or working on their laptops, and the rest of the staff were nowhere in sight. It couldn't hurt to get a bit of agony aunt going on, right? He sat down on the edge of the armchair cautiously, like a bird ready to fly off at the first sign of trouble.

"So." said Hisao, looking at Naruto.

"So…" repeated Naruto, his eyes darting around the café for any sign of staff or customer approaching.

Hisao sniffed and tapped his cigarette on the white saucer. "He likes you, huh? Do you like him back?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in the chair. What kind of question was that? "I, uh, I like Sakura - the girl I'm dating."

Hisao smirked. "You got a regular love triangle going on, don't you? Talk about teen drama." He took a long drag of his cigarette before continuing, "So, what do you see in her then?"

"See in her?" echoed Naruto.

"The girl you like." said Hisao, spreading his hands out as if it was obvious and he was being forced to talk to a five year old. "What's so special about her?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. It was weird talking about this with a guy he barely knew. "Um, well, she's smart, she's kind, she's pretty, uh, she has a nice smile…" He trailed off trying to think of how to describe her. Finally, he gave a decisive nod. "She's everything a guy could want in a girl."

Hisao cocked a brow. "Really?"

Naruto frowned at the disbelieving look in the man's eyes.

"Yeah." he replied.

Hisao snorted. "Sounds more like a checklist to me."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and put his tray down on the table. "What do you mean?"

Hisao regarded him with an amused smile. "It's like the checklist for the perfect girl. Sounds like something you copied and pasted from Wikipedia into an essay. The essay is your life by the way," he said, pointing at Naruto with his cigarette. "Just in case you were wondering. That's what I like to call a metaphor."

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "And Wikipedia is…?"

Hisao shrugged. "I ain't thinking it through that deeply, kid. Wikipedia's whatever the hell you want it to be, a bunch of bullshit written by a bunch of people who don't check their sources. They say whatever crap comes to mind and everyone else eats it up."

Naruto stared. Ok, he'd lost him. "…What?"

Hisao threw his head back looking at the ceiling for inspiration. "Ugh, forget the metaphor. Jeeze. Let me put it for you this way. You're using every cliché in the book to describe this girl."

Naruto looked away and shrugged. "So what? Clichés are clichés because they're true."

Hisao took a long drag of his cigarette and breathed the smoke into the air before fixing Naruto with a penetrating stare.

"No. Clichés are bullshit lines used by people who aren't original enough to come up with their own ideas or feelings, so they just piggyback off of what everyone else has said thinking they have a clue what they're on about."

Talk about a dick remark. The teen opened his mouth to retort with some savory words of his own, but Hisao got there first.

"Tell me how you really feel about her."

Naruto frowned and looked at the carpet. It was an odd orange-y brown, the perfect mix of colors and non-colors to disguise any possible coffee stains to the casual eye. He bit his lip.

"She's…" he began before trailing off.

Sakura. How did he feel about her? What was it he liked about her specifically? Her smile? Yeah, it was beautiful, but that was physical. She was smart, but that wasn't a reason to like her. He scratched his head.

"She's…really nice." he finished lamely.

Hisao snorted, making smoke trail out of his nose as well as his mouth.

"Wow. Sounds like a real catch."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched slightly. "It's more than that. I just-I can't explain."

"Is that so." replied Hisao with a smirk. Naruto clenched his fists. He didn't need to be having this conversation with a random regular who obviously didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"It doesn't matter what you think about it. It's just…she's a normal girl and I'm a normal guy, and we have a normal relationship, ok? End of story."

His eyes widened as he realized what he'd just said.

"Normal, huh? That sounds fan-freaking-tastic."

Naruto didn't answer. His mind was in a whirl, thoughts pounding through his head faster than the rhythm of his now rapidly beating heart. Was that why he liked Sakura? Because it was…normal? Because he wanted to be normal? Was she his ticket to being a regular guy?

"Tell me about him." said Hisao interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

"Who?" replied Naruto, looking up, almost grateful for the distraction.

Hisao raised a white brow. "The guy who likes you."

He tapped the cigarette on the white saucer sitting on the table, and Naruto's eyes followed the pieces of bright orange burning ash as they fell onto the porcelain, turning cold and gray the moment they hit the surface.

"Sasuke is a bastard." said Naruto at last, glaring at the ash. "He gets on my nerves and under my skin like no one else. He drives me insane."

Then he gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I do the same to him. It's weird, but he's my best friend."

Hisao took another drag of his cigarette. "Why?" he asked before blowing another cloud of smoke into the air.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess because we've been through a lot."

No, it had been before that. They had…before that…they had…

"We understood each other." he said at last, rolling back his shoulders and leaning back against the armchair. He looked up at a bland photo of brown coffee beans hanging on the wall above Hisao's head. The pungent smoke from the cigarette stung his eyes, but he ignored it, continuing to think aloud.

"We argue a lot, but he's always had the ability to see right through my bullshit when no one else could, and I could always see through his. He gets me, I guess."

Naruto took a deep breath and frowned. Crap. What was he saying? He put his head in his hands and tried to erase the thoughts, but it was too late. The realization was slipping in like cold wind through a broken window. It filled him up and his eyes widened, staring at his hands. Could it be that he-?

Hisao leaned forward interrupting Naruto's thoughts once again. "You said you'd been through a lot. What was it?"

Naruto looked at him distractedly. He'd almost forgotten the man was there. "What?"

"What have you been through?" repeated Hisao.

Naruto swallowed and stared at the ground. "That's…it's…personal."

Hisao nodded in understanding. "I saw some of it on the news, you know, last year. You guys brought down an entire drug ring, right? It was amazing." said Hisao. His cigarette lay forgotten between his fingers, burning slowly and sending up a thin line of smoke. "You guys are heroes you know."

Hisao grinned, a strange smile that reminded Naruto of a ventriliquist's dummy – oddly still.

"Was that the stuff you went through that you were talking about?" asked Hisao.

"I-" Naruto frowned. This guy knew who he was? Knowing that made him feel suddenly bare and naked. He drew back a little as Hisao leaned forward. "It's not something I like to talk about."

"Why? What happened?" asked Hisao. "I heard they put you on drugs. Is that true?"

Naruto stood up in a flash and picked up his tray as he glared at the man. "You're one of those reporters wanting the inside scoop, aren't you? I thought you guys gave up after the trial was over." He gave a short laugh and began to turn away. "I should've known there'd still be some cockroaches scurrying around."

Hisao raised his hands up in a placating gesture. "Whoa, whoa, wait a sec. You've got it all wrong. I'm not a reporter. I didn't mean to offend you or nothing, kid. I just hadn't realized you were that guy till now, so I guess I got a bit excited. I'm a bit of a fan is all. Take it easy, yeah?"

Naruto bit his lip and rubbed the back of his head. Maybe he was overreacting.

"…Fine. Whatever." he said. "Sorry, I get a bit paranoid sometimes."

"It's cool." said the man, leaning forward and stubbing out his cigarette in the saucer. "I shouldn't have asked anyway. It's none of my business."

He stood up and put on his black jacket. The arrogant smirk was back playing on his lips, and he gave him a casual one-fingered salute.

"Good luck with your boy trouble." he said before throwing a few dollars onto the table and heading out, the small bell attached above the doorway tinkling as he exited.

Naruto flopped back down onto the seat still holding his brown plastic tray, the soft green cushion sinking beneath his weight.

His mind was in a whirl. That conversation had been far more 'enlightening' than he had expected. He frowned as he thought of Sakura. All this time, had he just been using her as his ticket to a normal life? Get the perfect girl, go to university, have two point five kids and a dog with a white picket fence. Was that what he really wanted?

Naruto sighed. He'd thought so, but when he really thought about Sakura, what did he actually give her? What did she give him? Getting close to her had been harder than melting a polar ice cap, just like…just like her crush on Sasuke. Sasuke had zero feelings for her. It was all one-sided. Was that what this was? He was just crushing on her because she was his ideal?

Naruto put his head in his hands. If his feelings for Sakura weren't real, did that mean that he had feelings for Sasuke? The sensation of Sasuke's lips on his jumped into his mind, soft and warm, and he shook his head trying to erase the thought. No, he'd been drunk. They'd both been drunk. Besides, Sasuke was a guy. That Hisao man was just trying to mess with his head, probably wanted Naruto to join the ranks of the rainbow club.

He rubbed his eyes. Man, he felt tired, and that hangover wasn't doing much to help his thoughts. His brain felt like it was wrapped in a cotton cloud.

A bell rang at the counter, loud and jarring, and Naruto's head snapped up to see a customer standing there, looking around the café impatiently for a staff member. He shot up and went over to him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir." He said to the customer, a skinny bearded man decked in tight jeans and a shirt that read 'Veganicity'. Another hipster. They really loved these coffee shops.

Naruto took the man's order and forced his mind to concentrate as he began filling the cup from the coffee machine. It hummed as the hot, dark coffee streamed out. No, he wasn't so far gone as to like a guy. He was not gay, dammit…but Sakura. He needed to talk to Sakura.

* * *

The desk was covered in thick a sea of papers and files packed to the brim with documents. A green-haired man flipped through a brown file and laid it in front of the dark figure sitting at the desk.

"This was all I could find regarding it, sir." said the green-haired man, gesturing towards the paper. "They could not verify it for the case, only taking the witness's word."

The other man nodded. "Thank you, Zetsu. It seems we'll have to find another way to verify this information."

He looked up at the other figures in the room. "I don't want any brash movements. We go about this delicately."

He turned to a tall figure standing before him with his hands shoved into his pockets. "Give me your report."

The man stepped forward into the light, his expression like that of a moody teenager despite the crisp black business suit. He kicked at the ground with his black polished shoe. "We're unlikely to get any information from the Uzumaki boy." he replied. "That kid's more paranoid than a schizo in a government conspiracy. If we wanna find out, we're going to have to go about things another way."

"I see." replied the man at the desk. He sighed. "Very well. Continue monitoring him, Hidan."

Hidan smirked, the metal piercing under his lip, glinting in the light. "If you like, I can take him in for you. I have some…effective methods."

The man held up his hand. "No. The last thing we want at this stage is to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. We find out for certain first." he paused. "Deidara."

A man lounged against the wall, chewing on a gum bootlace, his long, blond hair snaking down to his waist in an oddly feminine ponytail. "Yeah, boss?" he said.

"I want you to approach Sasuke Uchiha. He's been looking for you after all." said the man. "Make it natural. Don't make him suspicious, don't make any confrontation and don't let him follow you. Get what we need and leave, do you understand? I want no mistakes."

Deidara grinned and gave him a casual salute. "You got it, boss." He scratched the back of his head. "What's so important about these kids anyhow?"

The man leaned back in his chair, his face disappearing into shadow so that only two narrowed eyes glinted from the darkness. "We have to be aware of the possibility of any obstruction to our plans. For that, we need to know if they're a threat." The man set his mouth in a thin line. "If they are, then they must be eliminated."

* * *

**AN:** Poor Sakura. She has no idea of what's coming. :D


	10. Confrontations

**AN:** Ok, so I'm afraid I won't be faithful for a while. The next 6 weeks are going to be crazy busy for me, so I might not get much time to update at all. The weekly updates will have to be on a hiatus. After that, however, I should be back on track and have loaaads of time. Thanks for your patience and thank you so much for your reviews and support. I love you guys! :D

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 10: Confrontations

_"The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages." _

_~Virginia Woolf_

* * *

Naruto chewed on his lip as he sat on the swing, swaying ever so slightly. A gentle breeze swept through the park and the scent of summer flowers drifted from a nearby garden. Naruto breathed in, inhaling the sweet scent. He didn't care that he was too old for this park. He loved it here. It was the place he came to for practicing football, but more importantly, it was the place he came to when he needed to get his head together. He glanced at the black strap watch on his wrist. Sakura would be here any minute. Naruto wasn't even sure what he was going to say. His head still ached and the boss had been kind enough to let him off early. He'd called Sakura, but he hadn't planned for the girl to actually agree to meet him after he'd been such an asshole. Naruto kicked at the soft pieces of bark that covered the ground and watched as they scattered like grass in the wind.

"So, what's this all about, Naruto?" said a voice from behind him.

Naruto shot off the swing and turned round, plastering a nervous smile on his face. "Sakura, I didn't realize you were here already."

Before him stood a rather miffed looking girl, arms folded and brow raised. She let out a small huff of frustration from her pink-glossed lips and fixed him with a glare. "You seem to have a habit of not noticing me lately."

The smile faded from Naruto's face. "I know, Sakura. I'm really sorry." He rubbed the back of his head. "I've been a class 1 a-hole recently."

Sakura's expression softened and she shrugged. "I know you don't mean it. You're just a bit clueless, Uzumaki."

_More than you know_, thought Naruto, cringing inwardly.

Naruto licked his lips. They felt strangely dry, as did his throat. He swallowed. "That's why, uh, that's why I wanted to talk to you."

Sakura pursed her lips. "If this is about giving you another chance…" she began.

"It's not." interrupted Naruto and Sakura stopped, blinking in surprise.

"The thing is, Sakura." Naruto took a deep breath. "I've been pushing you all this time, haven't I?"

Sakura looked away for a moment and tightened her folded arms. "I… don't know what you mean."

Naruto fiddled with the chain on the swing, making it clink softly. "You don't have to be nice. I know you were never sure about dating me, and I know…you're still into Sasuke."

He almost stuttered as he said the name, but thankfully Sakura didn't notice, her cheeks flushing at the very mention of him.

Naruto forged on. "It's just, I realized recently that I've been pushing you to go out with me and make me happy, but in the end, I wasn't really thinking about whether it would make you happy. I mean, I thought it would, but…it just seems like every time I make things worse."

Sakura furrowed her brow. She had that look on her face, a look of sympathy mixed with guilt that said she agreed with every word he was saying, yet she bit her lip not giving voice to the cruel words. So, Naruto swallowed his pride and did what he always should have done. He voiced them for her.

"You never really wanted to be with me. I pushed you into it, and I shouldn't have. I realized that I was just trying to get the perfect life, and I guess you were part of it. You always seemed like the perfect girl to me." He shot her a rueful grin, before sighing and leaning his cheek against the cold chain.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Sakura stepped forward, not meeting his eyes and wrapped her fingers around the chain of the swing. "Naruto," she said, looking up at him, "That just might be the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me."

She leaned forward and planted a feather-light kiss on Naruto's lips. The blond teen stood still in utter shock.

"Thank you." she said, pulling away with a gentle smile. "You have always been a really good friend, and I'm glad we still can be."

Naruto let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head, returning the smile. "Me too. I guess this means we go back to things the way they used to be."

He laughed. "Except this time I won't be hounding you for dates."

Sakura grinned and walked past Naruto sitting down on one of the swings. "That's going to be so much less awkward."

Naruto sank down onto his own swing and kicked himself off the ground, sending himself back and then soaring forward into the air. "Yeah," he said with a grin. "I guess it will."

Sakura let out a small laugh and followed his lead, swinging into the air, the breeze catching her hair as it flew out behind her, and Naruto closed his eyes with a grin as he flew upwards towards the blue sky.

Suddenly the world felt a lot brighter.

* * *

When he made his way home that night Naruto couldn't help feeling an odd sense of wonder at how much better he felt. He and Sakura had chatted for hours, more relaxed together than they had ever been, and it was only now he realized how much he'd been messing things up between them for so long. After a late dinner and watching some TV with Iruka, which had also been oddly relaxed (maybe it was him who'd been uptight for so long?), Naruto sank gratefully into his fluffy pillows and pulled his warm, cozy sheets over him. He turned off his bedside lamp and closed his eyes. He would feel so perfectly relaxed, but for one anxious thought gnawing at his gut. That night at the party…

As if sensing his thoughts, the phone on his nightstand vibrated, juddering across the smooth wooden surface, and the teen grabbed it. The black screen read the name 'Sasuke Uchiha' in glowing white letters. Opening his nightstand drawer, Naruto threw the phone inside as if it were a burning hot coal, the buzzing of the phone continued, only muffled slightly by its wooden casing before it eventually stopped. Naruto bit his lip as he stared at the nightstand in the darkness. He knew he was being a coward, but he couldn't, not right now, not when things were going so well. Sasuke…confused him, and he needed to think. He settled back onto the pillow, his brows drawn together and his stomach in knots. Sasuke was his best friend, but he was a guy. This sort of thing didn't happen to normal people. Naruto sighed, forcing his eyes closed and tried to relax his tired brain.

It didn't matter, he told himself. They'd been drunk. It had probably all just been a drunken prank anyway. When he talked to Sasuke next week it would be like nothing had ever happened. Yeah.

He soon drifted away despite the anxious thoughts dashing around his mind and the hangover taking its toll pulled him deep into slumber.

* * *

"_Did you did you not accept drugs from Orochimaru?"_

_His dry throat made it difficult to swallow, but swallow Naruto did as he sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair. He was tucked away in the witness dock, surrounded on all four sides by low wooden walls like a mini fortress, yet he had never felt more exposed and vulnerable than this moment, facing the man in the gray suit. The lawyer smoothed down his red tie though it hardly needed adjusting, tied in a perfect Windsor knot, and he glanced smugly around the courtroom before looking at Naruto again, his lips curved in a mocking smile. _

"_Well?" he said, "Answer the question, Mr. Uzumaki. Did you willingly accept drugs from my client?"_

_Every single person's eyes were fixed on Naruto, a sea of stern faces, and the court room was so silent that Naruto could hear his own breathing._

"_I did." He said in a quiet voice. He tried not to look at the seat, the seat that held that man, that man he knew was watching him. He could feel those yellow eyes raking over him. It made his skin crawl._

"_And you claim," continued the lawyer, "that you also ran errands for my client in exchange for payment?"_

"_I-I didn't want to. I didn't know that I was delivering dru-" started Naruto._

_The lawyer raised his hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "Yes or no, please, Mr. Uzumaki."_

_Naruto clenched his fists, hidden below the wooden screen of the dock. "Yes."_

_The lawyer stepped closer to him, putting one hand on the edge of the dock and fixed Naruto with an accusatory glare. "And isn't it true," he said in a voice, calm and deadly, "that you offered your body to my client while on those drugs."_

_Naruto glared at the man. "No, I didn't."_

_The lawyer raised a disbelieving brow. "You said before to the defense that he raped you, is that right?"_

_Naruto took a deep breath. "Yes, that's right."_

"_Yet, wasn't it that you agreed to continue paying for those drugs, not with money, but with your body?"_

_Naruto gritted his teeth. "No, I was only delivering in exchange for drugs. He threatened my frie-"_

_The lawyer interrupted again, "So you admit that you agreed to deliver illegal substances in exchange for drugs?"_

_Naruto stopped. "No, I…I mean yes, I mean, I don't know." He put a hand to his head. It was beginning to ache. He'd done it to save his friends, hadn't he? Or had he done it for the drugs?_

_The lawyer smiled. "For someone who is so certain of my client's guilt, you don't seem to be very straight with your own facts, Mr. Uzumaki." He faced the courtroom. "I am sure we all feel badly for Mr. Uzumaki. He has come from a broken home and led a difficult life, but honestly, how can a drug-addicted, clearly troubled teen possibly serve as a reputable witness against my client when he cannot even tell his own story straight?" He turned to face Naruto again, a smug smile on his face. "I think that perhaps you've taken many different kinds of drugs in your lifespan, Mr. Uzumaki. It seems they've induced enough hallucinations and paranoia for you to build your very own fantasy world. It's understandable that you want attention after a neglected childhood, but jumping on the bandwagon in trying to besmirch my client's reputation is not the way to achieve it." _

_Naruto stood up, hot rage pounding through his head. He was NOT a drug addict and he was NOT a liar. He pointed at the seat that held Orochimaru and glared at the lawyer. _

"_That man tricked me, blackmailed me, tortured me and raped me! I'm not an attention-seeking brat. I'm telling the truth!"_

"_Order! Order!" said the judge slamming his hammer on the table. "Any more outbursts, Mr. Uzumaki and you'll be put in contempt."_

_Naruto swallowed and sat down. "I'm sorry, your honor."_

_The judge nodded, folding his hands into the sleeves of his black robes. "The prosecution may continue."_

"_Thank you, your honor." The prosecution lawyer said, an oily smile coating his face and once again smoothed his red tie. "Mr. Uzumaki, isn't it true that you have a perversion towards men?"_

_Naruto's mouth dropped open. "What?"_

_The man's smirk seemed to widen and his eyes flashed red before turning back to their blue-gray. "You have perverted feelings towards your best friend, don't you, Naruto?"_

_Naruto's breathing quickened, and he clenched his palms as they began to sweat. "I don't see what this has to do with-"_

"_So you don't deny it?" said the lawyer, "You don't deny that you're a twisted freak of nature who allowed a man to touch you and be intimate with you, and now you want to be with another man."_

_A feeling of deep, dark dread sank heavily on Naruto. What was this? He glanced around the courtroom, and the sea of faces didn't have faces at all. They were all frightening blank flesh canvases, yet he could see them leaning towards each other, hear them whispering, a rustling sound of contempt that swept through the courtroom. _

"_Freak. Freak. Freak. The boy is a freak." the voices said, murmuring it like a revelation._

_And that was when Naruto finally looked at that seat, the seat that held the man, and he froze as he realized it was empty. He jumped and gave a yell as the lawyer grabbed his arms and held them down, trapping them on the edge of the dock._

"_You're a freak, Mr. Uzumaki." said the lawyer, looking straight into his eyes, and they glowed blood red. "A perverted freak, Just. Like. Him."_

_Tears pricked Naruto's eyes and his body shook as cold fingers wrapped themselves around his neck and a pair of lips brushed the shell of his ear._

"_Just like me." Orochimaru whispered in a low hiss._

_And a warm tongue slicked over Naruto's ear. He tried to turn his head, but he couldn't move._

"_No." he whispered. "I'm not like you. I'm not."_

_The spidery fingers began to undo the buttons on his shirt. "You're a freak." continued the voice, and the courtroom faded into blackness, leaving Naruto alone with the terrifying man, that he still couldn't see, only feel in the darkness. _

"_A twisted perversion of nature."_

"_No." said Naruto, shaking his head. "I'm not. I'm not."_

_He began to struggle in the man's grip, but the fingers tightened around his throat and he choked as the voices surrounded him. _

_Freak, freak, freak._

_The faces of the courtroom had returned, but each one now set with a pair of glowing red eyes. They continued the chant. Freak, freak, freak._

"_No!" shouted Naruto as the man's fingers began to pull off his shirt. _

"_NO!"_

* * *

Naruto shot up in bed with a yell. It was pitch black and his heart hammered against his chest. Clammy sweat clung to his body and he looked around in the darkness, part of his mind still stuck inside the dream, and he half-expected to see red eyes staring back at him, but the strange reality quickly faded and he sat still for a while as he tried to slow his breathing. He pulled at the sheets which had managed to wrap themselves around his neck in a tight hold. Man, he could have choked himself with his own sheets. Who knew they could be dangerous? Naruto switched on his light and stared at his sheets

That dream. It had started off as memories of the court case a year ago, and turned into…this. The voices still rung in his head.

_Freak, freak, freak._

He shuddered. No, he wasn't like Orochimaru, was he? He wasn't a pervert. Did he actually like Sasuke? Did that make him a freak?

Naruto raked a hand through his hair. Normal people didn't like someone of the same sex. Normal people didn't have weird feelings for their best friend. He didn't want this.

He turned over, flopping onto the pillow and burying his face into it.

This was all Sasuke's fault for kissing him and confusing him. He didn't fucking want this. They weren't real feelings. They weren't real. He was not a freak.

* * *

It had been a weekend of pure torture for one Sasuke Uchiha. He shot evil death glares at every person he passed in the hallway, not a single one of them was his blond friend. In fact, Naruto seemed to have developed ninja skills in avoiding him. He'd gone to Naruto's work. Not there. He'd gone to Naruto's house. Not there. He'd called him several times. No answer. He hadn't even had time to scour the underbelly of Konoha that weekend, too preoccupied with trying to see his friend. He wasn't sure now if he was going to even try to make up with him when he saw him or just strangle the guy. It was lunch break on a Monday and Naruto still hadn't shown. Surely, he'd have to be in the cafeteria right? But no, he hadn't joined them, and now Sasuke was being reduced to hunting through the hallways for him. He gritted his teeth. _Stupid idiot._

That was when he saw it - a flash of blond hair. The head turned and two wide blue eyes widened in fear before the teen turned and dashed down the hallways. Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh before giving chase. He pushed past the people blocking his way receiving a few disgruntled yells in return. Why did all the students have to hang out in the hallways now? Shouldn't they be outside or eating lunch? Now it seemed every single one of them was hell bent on stopping him from reaching his target. But nothing would stop him today. Sasuke rounded the corner, the other teen disappearing around the next and he could hear the tapping sound of Naruto's foosteps as he ran down a flight of stairs. Sasuke broke into a run and followed the sound of those footsteps as he went down the same stairs before arriving in another irritatingly crowded hallway, but he pushed through before arriving in a quieter side corridor. The main stream of bodies rushed through the hallway behind him, chattering and laughing, completely unaware, and Sasuke stopped, gathering his thoughts and looking down the quiet, linoleum-colored corridor. A few students drifted through, but not a single blond hair could be seen. Sasuke scanned the area feeling much like a hunter. His prey? That stupid moron. No way he could get away from him. Sasuke smirked as his eyes landed on the oh-so-obvious door, the door with the shape of a black stick figure man affixed to it and the words 'Men' written underneath. Naruto would have to get up earlier to outsmart an Uchiha.

* * *

Naruto turned off the tap, his face dripping from the cold water he had splashed on it and grabbed a paper towel, wiping his face dry with the rough paper. That had been close. He stared at his reflection.

_You're a coward_, he thought to himself.

Sure, he knew he couldn't run forever, but he'd panicked when he saw the Uchiha's dark eyes staring a hole in his head.

The door to the bathroom swung open and Naruto turned to see none other than that Sasuke Uchiha stalk into the bathroom, his face the picture of anger.

"S-sasuke, what a surprise." said Naruto, the lie sounding ridiculous from his stuttering lips and he backed away against the wall as Sasuke came up to him.

"Surprise, my ass, Uzumaki." said Sasuke, grabbing Naruto by the shirt collar. "Just how long do you plan on avoiding me?"

Naruto tried a nervous smile. "Avoiding? Haha. W-who's avoiding?"

Sasuke let go of him and gave him a flat look.

Naruto sighed. "Ok, so I was avoiding you, but that's just cos I knew it was going to be awkward after…well, you know." He trailed off, looking anywhere but at the boy who glowered in front of him. Sasuke was the same height as Naruto, but he seemed bigger than usual somehow.

"After I kissed you." finished Sasuke for him.

Naruto almost choked, waving his hands in front of him. "Ah well, uh, that is, yeah, I…"

Sasuke folded his arms and said nothing, just watching him flounder. Heat crept up Naruto's cheeks and he was sure his face was going to melt from sheer embarrassment. He finally stopped stuttering useless words into the silence and dropped his arms. He sighed and met Sasuke's gaze. "Look, don't worry, Sasuke. We were both drunk and stuff. It's not a big deal. It's already forgotten, ok? I won't bring it up again. We can go on as normal."

Something flashed in Sasuke's dark eyes and a muscle twitched in his jaw. "What if I don't want to continue on as normal?"

Naruto could practically feel his eyes bulging in their sockets. "W-what?" He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "But you were drunk. You were just joking, right?"

Sasuke looked away and glared at the wall. It looked like he was trying to burn a hole through it. "Do you think I'd kiss a guy for a joke?" He turned his gaze back to Naruto, those intense jet black eyes on him. "I meant every word I said. I like you, Naruto." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Although I can't figure the hell out why."

Naruto didn't say anything. He couldn't. His brain seemed to have crashed and burned. If he was a Windows PC right now he'd be showing the blue screen of death. All he could do was stare at Sasuke. This couldn't be true. This was all some weird kind of joke. Sasuke was playing a joke on him. That was the one thought he'd been clinging onto since the party, that none of this could be true. It would be his out. He could relax, but Sasuke looked dead serious as he stared at him, tapping his foot on the ground, arms still tightly folded, and his brows were knitted together waiting for some kind of answer. Was he…nervous?

"It's…it's a joke, right? Please tell me it's a joke." blurted out Naruto in his brain-fried state. He instantly regretted it as he saw hurt flash through Sasuke's eyes, but he wanted, no needed it to be true.

"What will it take for me to prove to you that I'm serious?" asked Sasuke in a quiet voice.

Naruto just shook his head. Did he want it to be true? If it wasn't a joke, that meant Sasuke really did like him, and then what? He flinched as Sasuke took a step towards him, trapping him between the wall and his own warm body. He put his hands up on either side of Naruto's head. Sasuke was looking intensely into Naruto's own eyes, his gaze only flicking from one eye to the other as if he was trying to psychically transfer his own thoughts into Naruto's mind.

"I'll do whatever it takes, Naruto." he said. Then, before Naruto could process what was going on, he leaned forward and pressed his soft, smooth lips onto Naruto's own. Naruto stood still in shock as the mouth covered his. He could smell Sasuke's cool aftershave scent, feel Sasuke's breath on his skin and the other teen's hair tickled his face. The one thought that went through his stupefied brain was how different it felt to Sakura's own sticky, feminine kiss, how much stronger, and sparks of electricity flew through his stomach, his own lips responding automatically to the mouth that was massaging them. He gripped the slippery surface of the tiles behind him, leaning back, but Sasuke only pushed forward, deepening the kiss, and that was when one petrifying thought called out in the recesses of Naruto's mind.

_This feels right._

And Naruto stiffened. He felt Sasuke hesitate in the kiss, his dark eyes flickering open to meet Naruto's terrified blue before Naruto shoved him away as hard as he could.

"I…can't." he managed to choke out before dashing out of the bathroom and slamming open the door out into the hallway and back into the crowd of students who didn't have a clue what had just occurred in the nearby restrooms.

* * *

An unnoticed figure watched from a crack in the gray bathroom stall as the usually emotionless Sasuke Uchiha just stood there, staring after the boy that had just left. The teen let out a deep sigh before following after his friend with slow, heavy steps. The door banged shut a second time as he exited, and the boy in the stall finally let out the breath he had been holding. He pulled out his red touch phone, and began tapping the virtual keys - lightning fast from years of practice. Sai smiled widely. Now this was some gossip worth spreading.


	11. Cruel Intentions

**Red Storm**

Chapter 11: Cruel Intentions

_"Never underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy. Never underestimate that."_

_~Oliver Stone_

* * *

Naruto slowed to a halt as the bell rang its warning for five minutes left of free period. He hadn't even been paying attention to where he was going and was headed in directly the opposite path to his class. The teen shook his head and dug his hands in his pockets as he turned around and made his way back towards the English classroom on the second floor. He knew running away from Sasuke hadn't been the kind or thoughtful thing to do, but his legs had moved before he'd had a chance to think.

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh as he went up the stairs and through the crowded corridors. Sometimes he would give anything to be rational rather than the impulsive idiot he was.

Students were slamming locker doors and talking loudly as they made their way to classes, and the blond was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice the strange reactions he left in his wake. Teenagers looked up from their cellphones as he passed by, and shot each other smirks and knowing looks before delving into whispered conversations.

He went past all of this completely clueless before reaching his classroom denoted by a brown sign above the doorway saying '203B'. Iruka-sensei had not arrived resulting in students sitting on desks, talking and laughing in small clusters. As Naruto stepped through the doorwary, everyone looked up and a soft hush descended on the room. Now this, even the unobservant Uzumaki could notice. He kept his face impassive as he passed between the desks of the now silent teens, staring at him shamelessly. The blond sat down at his desk before looking up and meeting their gaze squarely.

"What?"

Everyone quickly looked away and began talking again although their conversations were in quieter voices and the odd bouts of laughter rang out before a quick glance was sent his way.

Naruto ground his teeth together, curiosity and anxiety burning in the pit of his stomach. If people were going to talk about him, couldn't they at least be a bit less obvious about it?

"All right, class. Let's get started." said Iruka as he entered the classroom and picked up the chalk. "We'll be continuing from page 138, so please get out your books."

There was a rustling of bags and a shuffling of feet as the students quickly got back to their seats and began taking out their books. The object of everyone's attention tried to keep his head down and ignore them as he felt glances being shot his way throughout the entire duration of the class.

* * *

The end of last period and Naruto strolled down the halls, making his way to soccer practice, his backpack hanging off his shoulder. The last few classes had been weird. Everyone whispering, laughing at him. It made his blood boil.

"Hey, Uzumaki." shouted a voice. Naruto turned to a greasy-haired teen across the hallway safe amongst a crowd of snickering friends. The guy was grinning widely. "Not interested in giving the ladies some of that action? I always knew you guys were too tight! In more than one sense of the word."

His friends around him collapsed into laughter, and Naruto felt his blood boil. He was obviously missing something, but hell if he knew what it was.

"What are you talking about?"

The guy just grinned and whispered something to a girl next to him who laughed loudly.

Naruto ground his teeth and turned, trying to seem casual and unperturbed as he walked away while the irritation pricked at him like needles

A few stairwells and corridors later, and he heard a voice followed by running footsteps.

"Naruto! Oi, Naruto!" yelled Kiba as he ran down the hall, pushing past the other students. "Get out of the way." he said grumpily to the skinny boy he had rudely shoved past, looking at him as if he'd been the perpetrator of the crime. He didn't even glance back as the boy shot him a dirty look and walked away.

"Are you ok?" asked Kiba, panting slightly as he reached his bewildered friend.

"Why wouldn't I be ok?" asked Naruto.

Kiba shot him a look of pity. "Well, I mean, what they're saying about you. That kind of thing would drive me bat-shit insane."

Naruto frowned. "What who have been saying about me?"

Kiba's eyes widened. "You mean, you don't know? It's all over the school, man."

That would explain the weird behaviour of practically everyone in his classes today. Naruto folded his arms."So what's going on?"

Kiba laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's stupid really, you know…about you and Sasuke."

Naruto froze. Him…and Sasuke?

Kiba continued, "People are saying you two were…you know, uh..." he coughed, "...getting off in the boy's toilets."

Naruto almost choked, his eyes going wide as saucers. "What?"

"There's even this crappy picture going around which is supposed to look like you two kissing, but it's so blurry it's laughable."

"What?" said Naruto again, his voice growing higher.

Kiba carried on oblivious, "Well, I mean it does look kind of like you guys, but obviously it's photoshopped. Everyone's saying you two must be having some kind of secret relationship. Boy, did that get the fan girls mad."

"What?" repeated Naruto for the third time, this time his voice was so high it was practically off the decibel scale.

"Yeah, I know. Crazy, right?" laughed Kiba. "I mean you and the Uchiha? Anyone with half a brain would know there's nothing going on between you and Sasuke freaking Uchiha, right?"

Naruto didn't say anything now. He couldn't. His throat was blocked by some unknown force and all he could do was stare at his friend.

Kiba laughed again, a slight nervousness creeping into his tone. "I mean, right?"

It was obvious now. Kiba had come here looking for confirmation that it was all bull. Should Naruto lie?

A hot flush of embarrassment engulfed his face and he could feel his cheeks giving off heat like a small, flaming sun. The smile faded from Kiba's face.

"Oh my dear lord. Is there something going on with you and-"

He was cut off as Naruto grabbed his arm and tugged him along the hallway.

"Of course not." he said. "I mean, we weren't freaking getting off."

He blushed deeper as he said the words. Kiba remained shell-shocked as he allowed himself to be dragged along.

"But you were doing something…there…in the bathrooms."

"No." cried Naruto, "Well, I mean…"

He slowed to a stop and let go of Kiba, unable to face his friend. "He kind of might have kissed me."

Kiba's reaction would have been hilarious had it not been for the fact that Naruto was currently freaking out. Kiba's eyes bulged and he opened his mouth and closed it several times looking very much like a surprised fish brought onto dry land.

"Uchiha…kiss…you…he…" choked out his friend.

"There's nothing going on." said Naruto, waving his arms. "He's obviously seriously deluded right now. I told him to back off, and that's all there is to it."

Kiba just shook his head looking as if his entire world had been turned upside down. You'd think he was the one who'd just been kissed by one of his best friends.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Gay. I just can't believe it."

Naruto shifted his back pack on his shoulder and continued down the hallway. "Neither can I. Believe me."

His friend jogged up next to him. "So what are you going to do?"

Naruto frowned. "I just told you. I said to him to back off."

"And he just did? That doesn't sound very…Uchiha."

"It's either that or I break his face," replied Naruto. He curled his fists tightly. "And I'm seriously going to after this."

Kiba shrugged. "What's the big deal, man?"

Naruto almost tripped as he stared at the other boy. "What's the big deal? What's the big deal? Only the entire school thinking I'm gay. Have you any idea what this is going to do to my reputation? I spent so long just trying to get people to accept me as normal, to not hate my guts. This is going to destroy everything."

Kiba gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I mean, it's not that bad. I mean, being gay, isn't like when people thought, you know, that you were some kind of evil psychopath."

Naruto shook his head. "You don't get it. It's being different. In high school that's bad enough. With my reputation it's ten times worse." He groaned. "How does everyone know already? It only happened this afternoon."

Kiba stopped in mid-step and stared ahead of him. "You don't think…"

"What?" asked Naruto, turning to face him.

Kiba looked at him. "Well, it's funny how everyone found out about you and him kissing right after you rejected him, isn't it?"

Naruto's eyes widened.

Kiba noticed his expression and quickly backtracked. "Forget it. Even Sasuke wouldn't do something like that."

But it was too late. Naruto was off, marching down the corridor and holding his backpack in a death grip.

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

When Kiba and Naruto arrived at the locker room, Naruto had managed to work himself up into a dangerous, frenzied anger.

"Where is he?" he yelled to his surprised teammates half in the middle of changing.

"Where's who?" asked Neji.

"That asshole Uchiha, who else?"

"I'm here." came Sasuke's calm voice as he slammed the door of his locker and turned to face him.

The sheer serenity of his entire demeanor made Naruto want to punch him in the face twice as hard. He walked up to him and shoved him. Sasuke stumbled back against the locker, but he didn't look surprised or even try to defend himself as Naruto shoved him again.

"This is your fault, you bastard."

"Whoa. Take it easy, Uzumaki." said Neji, grabbing Naruto's arm and holding him back. "What's going on?"

"You mean you haven't heard the juicy gossip this asstard has been spreading around? I thought you'd be the first on it with your reporter skills, Neji."

The other boy narrowed his pale eyes. "I don't put much stock in rumors, Uzumaki. You know that. And even if it was true, I wouldn't care."

That statement made Naruto stop. "Why not?"

"It wouldn't matter to me if you were gay."

Naruto looked around at the other team members who were all watching the drama unfold before their eyes. Shino, Kiba, Choji, Rock Lee and Sai all staring at him.

"So you _have_ heard." He said and took a few steps back. "Yeah, well, I'm not."

He sent as fiery a glare as he could muster at Sasuke. "And you'd better remember that before you go around telling the whole school shit like that."

Sasuke straightened his blue and white soccer shirt. "I didn't tell anyone anything."

"Oh yeah, well, if not you, then who did?"

Apparently, Sasuke had no answer for that. He merely frowned and looked away.

This enraged Naruto even more. Did he seriously think that was going to cut it?

"I know_ I_ didn't go broadcasting that crap to the whole school," said Naruto. "So if not me that leaves one other person."

Sasuke took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Look. I'm sorry this happened, and I swear that I-"

"No." interrupted Naruto, pushing him back. "You know what? Forget it. This, the thing with Sakura, everything. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of you and your twisted mind games. You need to find another hobby, Uchiha. One that doesn't consist of ruining my life."

With those words, he stormed out of the locker room towards the soccer field, his gym bag still over his shoulder. No chance he was going to change in the same room as that bastard.

* * *

Sasuke opened his locker and grabbed his soccer boots, ignoring his teammates' eyes that were boring into his back. It was difficult to keep his movements calm and purposeful when inside all he wanted to do was throw a massive tantrum and punch every single person in the room including himself. Hell, even Uzumaki.

It wasn't his fault everyone knew. He hadn't told a soul. Obviously, someone had found out somehow. They must have been eavesdropping in the bathrooms. Now it was all over school, and even though he didn't give two flying fucks what a single turd in this school thought of him…Naruto did, and now Naruto hated him. That mattered.

Meanwhile, Choji broke the awkward silence that had descended on the locker room.

"Holy shit, man. What did I miss today?" said Choji, the half-eaten sandwich in his hand forgotten as he stared at the people around him. Shino shrugged, stood up and without a word followed Naruto's path through the door to the soccer pitch. Choji quickly finished off his sandwich and followed him.

"Hey, wait up!" he said.

"I want to know what's going on." said a protesting Lee as he was dragged away by Kiba.

"Leave it, man. Haven't you got some push-ups or something to work on before we start practice?"

The two boys exited the locker room, leaving only Sasuke and Sai in the room.

Sai tied the last laces on his soccer shoe before standing up and stretching. He smiled at Sasuke.

"What a shame. All your hard work for nothing, huh? Looks like you just keep getting him to hate you more and more."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his mind putting the pieces together. "You took that picture, didn't you?"

Sai smirked. "Now what would give you that idea?"

Sasuke took a threatening step towards him. "Don't mess with me, Sai. You think this is funny?"

He stopped, dropping his shoulders and meeting Sai's gaze steadily. "Did you take the picture or not?"

Sai merely shrugged. "You can't expect me to see something as hot as that and not tell people about it."

A flash of anger shot through Sasuke and he slammed Sai against the wall. The other boy's smile only widened.

"You had no right." ground out Sasuke.

Sai's eyes showed no fear, only mirth. "You can't stop freedom of speech."

"This isn't a fucking joke." shouted Sasuke. "Did you ever think of the damage it might cause?"

The infuriating pleased look never left the smiling boy's face as he easily held Sasuke's menacing gaze.

"Scared I've ruined your chances? Don't worry, Uchiha. I'll be here to pick up the pieces." the smile widened. "And if he ever needs a shoulder to cry on…"

That was it. Sasuke snapped. He pulled back his fist and smacked that sadistic guy hard in the face. Sai's head whipped to the side and he stumbled slightly as Sasuke let go of him. Touching his rapidly swelling cheek he straightened up and shot Sasuke a smile.

"You know, I have a theory that it's the weak-minded that fight with fists. The intelligent fight with wits."

Sai headed out towards the soccer pitch, pushing through the swing doors.

"May the best man win, Sasuke." he called back.

Sasuke was breathing heavily. He glared at the white brick wall in front of him and hit it with a yell. Man, he hated that Sai guy. He would gladly keep his hands around his throat until he stopped moving.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke followed the route of all the other boys and headed out into the corridor towards the soccer field. The bright light of the sun shone far too calmly on him as he pushed through the second set of swing doors and onto the pitch where everyone had already started their warm-up exercises with Gai. He needed to keep calm if he was ever going to convince Naruto to talk to him again.

* * *

50 minutes into soccer practice and Naruto had managed to avoid talking to or even looking at Sasuke Uchiha. Of course, there was no talk of drama with Gai watching them, and besides, they were far too busy trying to concentrate on their movements. That was one thing Naruto loved about soccer. It pushed everything else out and made you focus on the game - at least...usually.

"All right, boys" shouted Gai. "All of you in pairs. Neji with Choji, Shino with Lee, Sasuke with Naruto. Sai, you're with Kiba after he's done in goals. We're going to practice passing and trapping for the last ten minutes. First pair, Neji and Choji. Go."

Neji and Choji raced off up opposite sides of the pitch, passing regularly to each other as they neared the goals. Neji kicked the ball to Choji, and Choji fumbled slightly before hitting it back towards the goal. Kiba leapt on it before it could hit the net.

"Nice form, guys. Try and get more control on your aim, Choji." shouted Gai. "Next pair. Shino and Lee."

Lee looked slightly nervous as he ran up the pitch, the ball passing back and forth between himself and the stoic Shino. Shino appeared to be about to blast the ball, but at the last moment, passed back to Lee, who although surprised, managed to adapt and kick the ball into the corner of the net.

"Nice teamwork!" roared Gai approvingly.

Naruto groaned. Gai must have had some kind of subconscious sadistic side to pair him and Sasuke together today. He tried as best he could to avoid meeting Sasuke's eyes as he passed the ball to him and they ran up the opposite sides of the pitch. He passed to Sasuke. Sasuke passed back.

"More eye contact, boys!" came Gai's voice. "You need to be able to read each other's movements."

Naruto gritted his teeth and looked at Sasuke at the exact same moment the raven-haired teen looked at him. He momentarily held his breath as he met his friend's gaze. Sweat beaded on Sasuke's brow and the determination in his eyes said that he wasn't going to lose. He dribbled the ball up the pitch, his lean muscles moving against his shirt. It was hard to describe the expression on Sasuke's face. It was an intensity mixed with some other emotions Naruto couldn't read. It was the same odd look Sasuke had gotten in his eyes before he'd been about to kiss Naruto, and the same one he'd gotten when he'd confessed his feelings.

Naruto tore his gaze away as an odd feeling curled in his stomach. No, he hated Sasuke. He was mad at Sasuke and he was going to stay mad at him, that stupid bastard who was ruining his life, who-

"Naruto! Heads up!" yelled a voice, and Naruto turned to be met with a ball coming towards him. If he'd been paying attention he could have bounced it off his chest and controlled it to move in front of him and down to his feet, but Naruto hadn't been paying attention and in his panic he spun slightly on the grass. Only, the studs of his soccer shoe got stuck in the turf and his leg twisted making him lose his balance. The soccer ball flew over and past him and he fell forward roughly onto his shoulder. There was a crack as he landed and the momentum carried him a few feet up the pitch, the grass burning his skin.

In the next few moments everyone was running towards him. Naruto got up slowly wincing as pain tore through his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" asked Kiba, first to arrive from his position in goals. "That looked pretty nasty."

Naruto nodded and grimaced. "I'm fine."

"Let me have a look." said Gai running up and examining the teenager. He noticed Naruto's stiff movement of his arm. "Can you move your shoulder?"

Naruto moved it slightly. Pain shot through him and he stopped.

"May I?" asked Gai, holding out his hands.

Naruto nodded and allowed Gai to press his fingers into his shoulder, feeling the bone and muscle. He asked Naruto to move it several different ways before finally stopping his torturous examination. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, I don't think it's broken or dislocated," said Gai. "But you might have sprained it." He stepped back. "The school nurse is gone for the day, so I want you to get to a doctor as soon as you get home, all right?"

Naruto nodded. This was so embarrassing. So much fuss over a sprained shoulder which had been his own fault anyway.

"We'll finish practice here today, boys. Remember, in any sport, concentration is key. Everyone off the pitch and to the showers."

Gai led the way, helped by Shino, Lee and Choji as they picked up the cones and other soccer equipment lying around the field. Naruto made his way to the locker room with Kiba - Sai and Sasuke trailing close behind.

"Are you ok?" muttered Sasuke as he followed Naruto through the swing doors into the corridor.

Naruto didn't reply. Partly out of anger, partly out of embarrassment. To think he'd gotten so distracted by Sasuke and done this.

"Don't worry, Uzumaki. I'll gladly nurse you back to health." said Sai next to him, throwing his arm around his waist. Kiba rolled his eyes, throwing Sai a look of disgust.

"Back off, Sai." said Naruto through gritted teeth. He couldn't even shrug him off with his sore shoulder, so he opted for grabbing his wrist with his good arm and pushing it away.

"Come on, you need some assistance." said Sai, putting the hand back around his waist. The next moment Sai was yanked away from a surprised Naruto and slammed against the wall.

"He said back the fuck off, Sai."

Naruto and Kiba both stopped and gaped.

"Dude, calm down." said Kiba.

"I won't calm down." shouted Sasuke shooting Kiba a look of pure fire. "He's the fucking one who went around telling everyone. He was hiding in one of the cubicles, eavesdropping on our conversation then thought it would be fun to tell the whole school."

Naruto's eyes flicked between Sasuke and Sai, settling on Sai. "Is that true?"

Sai's eyes widened. "Of course not. I know I pull some pranks, but I'd never do something like that."

Sasuke pressed harder on Sai's throat. "He's lying."

Naruto frowned. "Why would he lie?"

Sasuke looked like someone had hit him in the chest. "Who are you going to believe, him or me?"

Naruto sighed. His head was throbbing, his mind was a mess and it felt like someone was shoving hot pokers through his shoulder. Right now, he just didn't feel like thinking about any of this anymore. He wanted to go home, get his shoulder fixed and go to sleep.

"Look," he said finally. "It doesn't matter right now. We can deal with it later. Just let him go."

* * *

Sasuke's mouth dropped open, and nobody saw the smirk that Sai flashed him. It seemed there weren't enough punches in the world to wipe the smile of this sadomasochist's face.

"I'm past the point of caring right now, ok?" said Naruto. "I want to go home and forget this day ever happened."

Sasuke said nothing in reply to that as Naruto walked through the second set of double doors into the locker room. What could he say? He reluctantly let go of Sai who made a big show of brushing himself off.

"Guess it's just you he hates, Uchiha." said Sai quietly enough for only Sasuke to hear, and winked as he followed Kiba and Naruto through the swing doors, leaving the Uchiha standing there, clenching his fists tightly. He let out a frustrated growl before heading into the locker room. He needed a damn cold shower after all this.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and a tired Naruto was struggling with his shirt as he tried to pull his arm out without twisting it too much. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him and purposefully ignored him, keeping his gaze fixed on the locker door in front of him. He had only just gotten out of his shoes, socks and shorts, and all the other boys had already showered and dressed. Sasuke was among the last, sitting on the bench as he packed his gym bag. He stood up and walked over to the blond teen.

"Do you want a hand?" he asked.

Naruto didn't look at him. "I'm fine." he said gruffly.

Sasuke sighed. "Look, it's obvious you can't get your shirt off yourself-"

"I said I'm fine!" interrupted Naruto shooting him a heated glare. "You've done enough, all right?"

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, but at the same time felt a grim satisfaction as guilt flashed across Sasuke's face.

"Fine. Whatever." said the dark-haired teen as he threw his gym bag over his shoulder and left the locker room. Soon after, the other boys followed suit.

"Hey, Naruto." said Kiba as he passed him. "Maybe you could cut him some slack, eh? All he did was like you."

The words shot through Naruto like an arrow, but Kiba was out the door before the teen had a chance to reply.

He frowned as he stood in the now empty locker room. Kiba Inuzuka was standing up for Sasuke of all people? He never took Sasuke's side. Naruto sighed. He knew Kiba had a point, but, hell, he was angry, and he needed someone to be angry at.

_Shouldn't you just get angry at Sai then?_ he thought to himself.

Then another voice rose in his mind. _Well, yeah, but this is Sasuke's fault too. If he hadn't kissed me…_

_You know Sasuke wouldn't have told anyone, _replied the irritatingly rational voice.

Naruto growled and pulled off his sweaty soccer shirt, wincing in pain as he moved his sore shoulder. He knew that, but if Sasuke hadn't freaking kissed him none of this would have happened.

Naruto's argument with himself was cut short as the door to the locker room swung open. Hidden amongst the rows of metal lockers, Naruto froze as he heard a familiar voice.

"Those retards will be finished by now, so we'll have the soccer pitch to ourselves." said Kenta.

"Won't we get in trouble for using the soccer equipment without permission?" asked the higher, thinner voice of another boy.

The low rumble of Goro's laughter echoed through the room. "The teachers don't check if anyone's on the pitch by this time. School's over, man. They've gone home. Nobody cares."

The voices were coming nearer and Naruto glanced down at himself. He was still only half-dressed in his boxers. He wouldn't have time to get dressed and out, he didn't even have time to shove things in his locker. Maybe they wouldn't come this way, maybe he could-

"Well, well, what have we here?"

Naruto's heart sank as he turned to face the three boys that had stopped at the end of the row of lockers.

Kenta looked as if Christmas had come early, his white teeth gleaming in a wide grin as he bounced a yellow and blue soccer ball back-and-forth between his hands.

"Look, guys, it's the freak." he said, nodding towards the solitary teenager, "Or should that be …the faggot?"

Naruto swallowed and said nothing as Kenta began to walk towards him. His mind was racing as he sought desperately for a way out. He could run, but no, even if he wasn't half-naked his damned pride threw that thought out the window.

Without warning, Kenta lifted the soccer ball and made as if to throw it at Naruto's face. Naruto flinched and automatically his hands flew up to protect his face, making his shoulder scream in pain.

Kenta grinned. "What's wrong, freak? I thought you'd be used to having balls flying at your face."

"Whatever." muttered Naruto, and he turned away, taking his white shirt out of the locker and pulling it onto his injured left arm trying as best he could not to show any pain or weakness. Maybe if he ignored them, gave no reaction, they'd just go away.

Yeah, that was a stupid hope.

"What's wrong, freak? Too good for us now, are you? Or is it that we're just not your types?"

Kenta smirked as the two boys behind him sniggered. When Naruto still didn't turn to face him, the smile on his face dropped. He grabbed the blond's shoulder roughly and yanked him round. "I'm talking to you, fag!"

Naruto let out a cry and grabbed at his arm, moving away from Kenta. He glared at him as his shoulder throbbed angrily, making his head pulsate.

"Fuck off, Kenta. I'm not in the mood."

Kenta grinned. "Aw, did the little freak hurt himself playing his little games?" He threw the ball up in the air and caught it. "You should leave soccer to the real men."

Naruto couldn't help himself. "You mean the real men who can't graduate or go to college?"

The expression on Kenta's face hardened, but the smile remained and he remained eerily calm as he looked at his friends. "You know what, guys? I think we should help the freak out. Look at his soccer kit." He pointed at the mound of grass-stained clothes on the bench. "It's filthy."

He grinned at Goro, "Why don't we wash it for him?"

Goro lips curved into a sadistic smile. "I know just the place"

"Grab his soccer kit, Eiji." said Kenta.

Naruto wasn't sure what to think, but he had a feeling this couldn't be anything good as he watched the thin, sandy-haired boy pick up the mound of sweaty clothes. He looked younger than the others and glanced at Naruto nervously.

"We should wash his school uniform too." said Goro.

"What a thoughtful idea, Goro." agreed Kenta and the next moment, Goro was pulling Naruto's pants and socks out of the locker.

"The fuck are you doing?" said Naruto as he tried to grab them from the bigger teen, but Goro simply shoved him back.

"We'll take this too." said Kenta as he grabbed the white shirt that was only half-on, and yanked it roughly off. Naruto gave a yell as his shoulder twisted back, almost grateful as his arm came free of the material. Kenta threw the shirt to Goro who caught it, adding it to his pile of clothes.

"Take them to the nearest bathrooms." ordered Kenta, smirking at Eiji and Goro. "Give them a good soak in the toilets. Feel free to add your own…flavor to the mix."

Naruto's eyes widened and he lunged at Goro. "No, give me back my clothes!"

But Kenta blocked his way and punched him hard in the jaw. He saw stars and stumbled back, feeling a pair of hands grab him before he was slammed face-first against the cold steel of a locker. The next moment his injured arm was pulled back and up, twisted painfully towards his upper back, and it hurt. Oh gawd, it hurt. The stars still clouded his vision and blood seemed to rush through his head at a million miles per hour. He blinked hard and his vision cleared a little.

"Get going." said Kenta to Goro and Eiji who still stood there holding the clothes. Goro grinned and turned to walk away, but Jun hesitated.

"Should we really be doing this? We could get in a lot of troub-" began Eiji.

"Fucking go, or I'll be shoving you in the toilet next, dickweed." growled Kenta, grabbing Naruto's other arm and pinning his wrist to the locker as he struggled in his grip. Eiji quickly followed the beefy Goro, and there was the sound of the door slamming as they exited.

* * *

A strange sort of silence descended on the empty locker room after the other boys left. Naruto was breathing heavily. His head had cleared, but his shoulder was still twisted painfully and he was trying not to move too much. Any movement only exacerbated it.

Kenta relaxed a little as Naruto stopped struggling, but he kept a firm grip on the other teen's wrists should he lash out. He adjusted his stance, pinning the other teen more securely to the locker wall with his body. The blond squirmed uncomfortably. The larger teenager was so close he could smell Kenta's sweat.

"What's wrong, freak? Isn't this turning you on? I thought this would be a dream come true for a fag like you." he said.

Naruto craned his neck round and shot him a glare.

"I'm not fucking gay." he ground out.

Kenta flashed his pearly teeth in a grin. "Could have fooled me. Or is it just the Uchiha kid that gets you off?"

Naruto looked away and said nothing.

"Why don't we find out?" said Kenta, and he let go of the hand he was pinning up against the locker and snaked it around Naruto's waist, feeling at the band of his boxers.

Naruto jerked back, pushing back against the other boy's body. "What the hell are you doing?"

Kenta growled and shoved him forward. "You think I didn't hear the rumors - that you were fucking one of our teachers?" He laughed and pushed his face close to Naruto's ear. "I bet you played all kinds of dirty slut with him, so don't act all innocent."

Naruto's whole body went cold and his heart beat so fast he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. He had to get away. _Now._

Kenta grunted as Naruto threw his head back, catching him on the chin. The shorter teen tried to get out of Kenta's grip, kicking against him and hitting at him with his other arm.

Kenta responded by twisting Naruto's injured arm up his back even further until Naruto yelled, standing on the tip of his toes to try and ward off the pain, and Kenta slammed him onto the locker with a bang that rang through the room.

"You think you can just strut around this school like you're number one,Uzumaki?" he hissed. "Think you can act the hero, and people will just forget? Other fucking people might have fallen for your little 'poor me' game, but I don't forget. I know what you are. You're a fucking murderer. Fucking fag scum."

The older boy relaxed his grip slightly, just enough to let Naruto fall back onto his feet, but still enough to keep him rocking onto the balls of them, his back and neck stretched in an effort control the pain. He felt nauseous, and he stiffened as Kenta's arm again crept round his waist. He couldn't move. It was just like his nightmares. And this time every sensation was real, just too damn real - from the low humming of the air conditioner in the far wall to the cold metal of the locker pressed against his half-naked body to the trickle of sweat that formed at the nape of his neck and trickled down his back. It was too sickeningly real as Kenta pushed his hand into his boxer shorts and Naruto's entire body stiffened as the teen's fingers snaked around his member.

"S-stop. Why are you doing this?" said Naruto, trying to turn and face the other teen, to look him in the eye, but it was hard with his cheek pressed against the cold metal.

"A fag like you should be enjoying this." murmured Kenta.

Naruto grit his teeth as hot anger shot through him. "I'm not the one with his hand down another guy's pan-"

It was all he could get out before Kenta pushed his arm up further, twisting his shoulder, and Naruto cried out in pain, standing on his toes. He continued to stand like that, pinned against the lockers, arm twisted behind his back and another boy's hand on his limp privates, slowly beginning to pump. Now he was sure he was going to vomit. His member slowly began to harden in spite of him and that unnatural heated feeling was curling in his stomach.

The door to the room slammed open, the jarring sound ringing off the white tiled walls. Kenta immediately stepped back, yanking his hand out of Naruto's boxers and loosening his grip on his arm.

Goro and Eiji came around the corner, and looked back and forth between the two boys.

"What's going on?" asked Goro, lifting a brow at the flushed expression on Kenta's face.

"Nothing." said Kenta quickly. "Just making sure he didn't run away while you two were taking care of things."

Naruto took his chance. He jerked his arm completely out of Kenta's grasp and punched him as hard as he could across the face with his good arm. Then he shoved past him, leaping over the benches like a gazelle escaping the sights of a shotgun.

"Get him!" yelled the older teen.

Naruto managed to round the corner before Goro was on him, grabbing his arms. He kicked at him hard and the guy let him go with a grunt of pain, but no sooner was he sprinting off than someone grabbed his legs, pulling him to the floor. He landed with a yell on his sore shoulder and his head cracked against the hard surface. Goro was on him again and grabbed him by his collar, lifted his head a foot off the floor and punched him. Agony exploded through his skull, spreading out from his cheek where he'd been hit. It was like being hit by a brick, and he fell back prone on the floor as his entire head seemed to ring and reverberate.

"Nice work, guys." said Kenta as he came up to them. He wiped at his mouth and looked at the small traces of blood on his fingers. He stared at it for a moment before kicking Naruto hard in the torso as he tried to get up. The blond doubled over and clutched at his stomach with a groan.

"Grab him." said Kenta. "I think he needs to cool off."

Naruto felt himself being lifted up and half-carried somewhere. His vision was still clouded and it was hard to tell which way was up and which was down as the world spun around him. All he could feel to guide him were his feet being dragged along the rough concrete floor. Then it became smoother. The two teens holding him finally let him go, and he collapsed onto his hands and knees, vaguely registering the cold wet of the tiled floor beneath him. Someone kicked him again in the stomach, making him fall onto his side, and he could see the shadowy figures of Goro, Eiji and Kenta above him in the dark gloom of the shower room.

"Turn it on." said Kenta.

One of the figures moved out of his sight. He heard the squeaking of metal, and the next moment he was assaulted with ice cold water pouring down on his unprotected body. He gasped. The shock of the temperature woke him from his stupor, but his arms and legs wouldn't move properly as he tried to get up and out of the way, his hands slipping on the surface of the smooth tiles. Again someone kicked him, this time their shoe connecting with his mouth, and he fell onto his back, tasting blood from the lip that had been knocked into his teeth.

"Stay there until you wash the scum off your skin, freak." came Kenta's harsh voice.

The barely conscious boy heard the footsteps of the other guys echo off the walls as they walked away. He spat out an irony-tasting liquid from his mouth and his eyes flickered open to see the gob of blood mix with the water and trickle away into the plughole. He couldn't bring himself to move, lying still under the icy shower. It was times like these he wished he had the ability to just curl up and die.

The cold stream of water continued to pour over him and Naruto just lay there, staring at the white tiled walls of the shower room.

* * *

Sasuke's shoes squeaked on the linoleum of the hallway as he strode down the corridor. He just wanted to get his stuff, get home and pretend this day had never happened. Rounding the corner he stumbled as he walked right into a burly figure's shoulder. Sasuke pulled back to find himself face to face with Kenta and his little 'gang'.

Kenta fixed him with a look of disgust. Sasuke simply smirked, a surge of satisfaction sweeping through him as he noted the older teen's lip was bleeding pretty badly.

"Watch where you're going, Uchiha fag." said the fair-haired teen as he covered his lip and walked past him, but then he paused and shot Sasuke a grin. He pointed at his mouth. "If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy."

He laughed and disappeared around the corner while the other two boys followed him.

It took a moment or two for the gears in Sasuke's mind to click as he realized what Kenta meant.

"Naruto." he whispered, before setting off at a run. He had to find Naruto.

* * *

**AN:** There's my sadism at play again what with cliffhangers and torturing characters. I've already started writing the next chapter in my head, so I'll try not to keep you waiting too long.


	12. ERMAHGERD!

**AN:** I apologise in advance for this chapter, and I may garner some flames for it, but I couldn't help myself. I sat down to write today and had a brain malfunction (otherwise known as temporary writer's block). This was the result. Don't worry. Inspiration came back and I've already started work on the next chapter which will be up later this week or early next week. For now, enjoy...if you can. xD

**Warning for anyone who might not have realized - this is not a real chapter! It's merely a pocket of insanity. Feel free to skip.**

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter Brainfart

_"If you fall, I'll be there." _  
_ ~Floor_

* * *

"Ermahgerd, Naruter!" cried Sasuke, his deep, dark onyx eyes filling with crystal tears. He threw his arms forward and ran over to Naruto Superman-style whilst making a '_Whoosh!'_ sound effect. He stopped, standing above him with his hands on his waist and a concerned expression adorning his flawlessly fugly face.

"S-Sasu-chan?" came Naruto's weak, thin, voice.

"Don't worry, baby! I'll save your cute little sexy ass!"

Sasuke picked up the injured blond and whisked him away to hospital.

As he lay his precious bundle in the hospital bed, he gazed down at the sunshine rainbow blond of happiness lovingly.

"You're safe now, my love."

"L-love?" repeated Naruto.

"Oh yes, Naru-chan." said Sasuke. "I love you. I'll be your bodyguard and keep you safe from now until forever's end."

Naruto's deep, light, medium-gray, sea-blue eyes filled with unshed tears which then shed.

"Oh, Sasugay, will we ever be happy?"

Sasuke stroked the hair of his sweet lovely. "I don't know, Naruparupoppsikins. It depends on the nature of our sadistic author and her cruel whims."

Sasuke thumped his chest. "But no matter what, Narupoopforbrains, I will stand by you…unless of course the author kills one of us or creates unnecessary drama and makes me hate you for some reason."

Naruto bit his pillow. "Well, just as long as you don't turn into a completely illogical asswipe like you did in the manga, Sasuprissypoo. Not a single thing you do makes sense any more."

"I know, flibbleflobble, but I'm an Uchiha. Apparently, it's in our DNA to do really really stupid and unnecessary things. Look at my brother, parents and Madara. Everything they did could have been handled much more sensibly."

Sasuke's lip trembled.

"Oh, Sissyplop." said Naruto flibblingly.

"Oh, Narutard." responded Sasuke pooflingingly as he leaned down.

"Wibble wibble, Snoosyfoo!" came Naruto's reply.

"Snockywocky, Naruchops." said the stoic Uchiha.

Naruto sighed. The simpering look disappeared. "Ok, that's enough. Can we take this bruise makeup off now?"

Sasuke straightened up, his face also turning serious. "Oh. Yeah, sure."

He grabbed a tissue and passed it to Naruto who wiped the blue and purple eyeshadow off his eye. He then swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

"Let's go home until the next chapter comes out. I think our author has gone temporarily insane."

Sasuke pulled back the hospital curtain surrounding the bed. "Truer words were never spoken. Fancy pizza tonight?"

Naruto shrugged and followed Sasuke out the door. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

**AN**: To answer the question that may be floating in your minds, yes, I live in a padded cell.


	13. Misplaced Anger

AN: Here's the real chapter at last, my delicious biscuits. I apologize for its shortness and the last one's insanity. xD

Scarlet Letters - Thanks, and I can understand it must get tiring, lol. xD You have a right to complain. I really do fill it with too much angst and drama, and torture Naruto incessantly. I guess I tend to get bored when there's no drama. Originally, this was going to be a separate fanfic, so he wouldn't have been through all that horrible stuff in the last story, but the plot worked out differently. It's possible this torture is unnecessary, but I wanted to use it as a means to bring Naruto and Sasuke to an understanding if that makes sense. Sorry if it's tiring, but it's my guilty pleasure. ;) I'll write more upbeat, less torturous stories I'm sure once this one's out of my system, but for now, the angst warnings remain like crazy. xD

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 12: Misplaced Anger

"_It is the false shame of fools to try to conceal wounds that have not healed._"

~Horace

* * *

Sasuke dashed into the locker room, slamming open the door. It flew into the wall with a crash and then slowly swung closed behind him with a soft click. Straining his ears, he listened for a sign of someone there, but the locker room was quiet. He searched frantically between the lockers which stood like silent soldiers blocking his path. Five gray rows of hollow metal boxes barred his way, the rest lining the walls. On the opposite side of the room were the white swing doors to the soccer pitch.

Would he be out there?

Sasuke hurried through the short white corridor and stepped out onto the pitch. His eyes scanned the pristinely-cut green field and examined the rows of bleachers encircling it. Not a person in sight.

He gave a quiet hiss of frustration and wandered back into the locker room with a frown, gazing around at the dull towers of metal boxes That was when he heard it. The soft, steady sound of rushing water. A nervous jolt shot through him as he turned slowly to his right facing the narrow passage that led to the showers.

Swallowing, he walked through the white tiled passage and rounded the corner. The sight that met his eyes chilled him to the bone. There, lying on the ground on the far side of the shower room lay Naruto's prone figure. His eyes were closed, his arms curled up towards his chest and hands clasped together as if in prayerful sleep. Only a single pair of black cotton boxers covered his usually tan body which had turned pale.

"Naruto." Sasuke blurted out before running towards him, fearing the worst. He fell down on his knees next to him and gasped as the shower's stream hit him. The water was icy cold. To his great relief. Naruto opened his eyes, his gaze slightly unfocused.

"S'suke?"

"Shit, Naruto." murmured Sasuke, "What did they do to you?"

He got up out of the icy pool of water that had already soaked the knees of his pants and out of the way of the cold stream that was freezing his arms. He stepped over Naruto and adjusted the heat until it became a pleasant lukewarm. Even so, the pitiful figure groaned as if in pain. He tried to prop himself up, but didn't succeed as his swollen shoulder gave way.

"It's too hot," he said.

Sasuke pulled off his jacket and threw it over a long steel towel rail attached to the wall beneath the shower pipes before dropping down beside him. He ignored the water that poured onto his hair and soaked his shirt.

"It just feels hot because you've been under the cold water too long."

He reached forward and began rubbing Naruto's arm and back which faced him now.

He saw Naruto frown out of the corner of his eyes, and he slurred slightly when he spoke.

"Whawr you doin'?"

"I'm getting you warm," replied Sasuke. He knew it was awkward, but he wasn't about to let the idiot get hypothermia.

Naruto said nothing, only shivering as his teeth began to chatter, and for a while neither boy spoke as Sasuke tried to generate heat in the ice-cold skin.

The chattering and shivering gradually grew to a stop, and Naruto reached up to stay the other teen's hands.

"That's enough. I feel a lot better now."

Sasuke nodded and helped him to push himself up into a sitting position. He then stood up and turned off the warm water. The tap squeaked as it was finally allowed to rest, and Sasuke grabbed his jacket from the towel rail. The sleeves were damp from the cold water from earlier, but the main body of it was warm and dry. He threw it around Naruto, draping it over his shoulders.

"Thanks," mumbled Naruto not meeting his friend's eyes as he hugged the material close to his body.

"No problem," replied Sasuke, crouching down next to him.

He finally had a chance to fully take in Naruto's state. His stomach already displayed a smattering of great, dark bruises, and his shoulder and cheek were red and swollen. Silence reigned in the shower room for a few moment save for the _drip drip drip_ of a tap which echoed around the tiled walls. It was Naruto who finally broke the silence, fidgeting with the lapels of the jacket.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke pushed back the wet locks of hair that had plastered themselves to his face.

"I left my soccer boots in my locker. Then I met Kenta with a busted lip on the way here. I put two and two together."

"Oh," was Naruto's dull reply. Sasuke looked at him, but as soon as their eyes met, the other teen looked away, choosing instead to watch the last rivulets of water that streamed into the plughole.

"Are you…ok?" asked Sasuke. He knew it was a stupid and pointless question in a situation like this, but he wasn't exactly good at this comforting stuff, and right now Naruto looked as if someone had turned his head inside out and his world upside down. His eyes were hollow and expressionless. Sasuke hadn't seen that since…

"I'm fine," said Naruto with a nod. His face cleared a little and when he looked at Sasuke it was with a bit more…Naruto than there had been before. Sasuke knew better than to believe him, but he also knew better than to push further, so he switched tack to a more practical line of questioning.

"Where are you hurt?"

Naruto shrugged and then winced. "You can see that, I guess." He said, glancing at his shoulder and then looked down at the black bruises stretching across his abdomen. His face blanched as he brushed his fingertips over the sensitive skin, and he shook his head.

"Dammit," he said through gritted teeth. "I should have been stronger than this."

Sasuke frowned. "It was three against one."

The blond shook his head again. "It doesn't matter. If I'd been faster―"

Sasuke interrupted him. "Don't even go there. Three against one with a fucked up shoulder. Nobody gets out of that unscathed. It's not about being strong or fast."

"You would have," said Naruto in a bitter tone. "You'd have found a way."

Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of that. "No," he said quietly, "I wouldn't. If it had been me I'd be in the exact same position as you."

Naruto scowled. "Except it's never you is it? No one ever goes for you. They go for me, and you know why?"

Sasuke pulled back slightly. He had a feeling he was about to find out and the answer wasn't going to be pretty. For the first time since he'd arrived, Naruto finally met Sasuke's gaze and the dark-haired teen almost wished he hadn't when the blue eyes flashed with nothing but heated malice.

"Because_ I'm_ not protected by the Uchiha name, _I_ wasn't born with a fucking silver spoon in my mouth, and _I_ don't get to have the popularity shield that stops people from caring if I'm fucking gay or not."

With each point, Naruto's voice grew in volume, practically yelling the last part, and each word ripped at Sasuke's insides, but he said nothing, only sitting quietly on his haunches. Naruto looked away, wiping at a small patch of blood that had formed on his skinned knee. When he spoke again it was so quietly Sasuke had to strain to hear.

"You could punch every single person in this school right in the face and they'd probably thank you for it. Nobody cares if you might be gay, but if it's me they…" he trailed off.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. The outburst had shocked him to say the least; each hate-filled word like a knife being carved into his flesh, but that was nothing when the implication of what his friend had just said sank into his mind.

"Are you saying…did they do this because of the whole thing today…" He didn't want to say it. He did not want to say it. Sasuke swallowed, "This is my fault?"

Naruto didn't reply. He just stared hard at the floor. The tightening of his jaw and the expression on his face told Sasuke all he needed to know. Sasuke's shoulders slumped and he stared down at the bland, white tiles in disbelief. This had been his fault? He was the reason Naruto had been treated this way? Because he'd been thinking more about himself and his own gratification.

"I…I didn't think…I didn't mean for…" He shook his head and blinked slowly as his mind tried to catch up with what had just been laid before him. "If I hadn't…if it wasn't for me, you'd…." He buried his head in his hands, digging his palms into his eyes.

"Fuck," he said quietly. He didn't want this to be real. It couldn't be real. "I'm so sorry. I never meant…"

A hand touched his shoulder and he looked up. Naruto pulled away quickly, biting his lip.

"Look, I…" he stopped and gave a frustrated sigh before continuing, "I'm the one who's sorry, Sasuke. I shouldn't have said that. Those guys? They hate my guts. They'd have found a way to mess with me whatever." He snorted. "Hell, they don't even need an excuse. Just hand Kenta a baseball bat and a small helpless animal and you've made his Christmas."

Naruto fixed him with a serious expression. "I don't blame you, not really. I just…needed to vent." He pulled the jacket tighter around his body. "Truth is, I never should have blamed you. Well, ok, maybe a little for being such a manipulative prick about everything, but I know you were never out to hurt me, so…yeah." he finished lamely.

Sasuke frowned. But he'd gotten Naruto hurt, just like Naruto had gotten hurt for his sake one year ago. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. He glanced at Naruto who still sat in his damp boxers, his usually bouncy spikes plastered down on his head.

"We have to tell someone about this, you know. They took things too far."

Naruto gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah? Like who? Principal Stein?" He snorted. "You know he's just looking for an excuse to kick me out of this school."

"You're got Iruka on your side now," Sasuke pointed out calmly.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "And he's been in Stein's bad books ever since." He shook his head making a few drops of water fly from the tips of his hair. "No, I just want to forget this ever happened."

Personally, Sasuke thought this was a stupid decision, but it wasn't like he could make Naruto ask for help. Stubborn idiot.

"Fine," he said at last, standing up. He pulled at the wet material of his pants sticking to his knees. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Naruto screwed up his nose. "I don't need to go to a hospital. I'm fine."

Sasuke raised a brow. "I'm sure you are. We're going to the hospital."

His friend gave a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Just for my shoulder though, so I can get it patched up."

It wasn't the best, but at least it was a compromise and Sasuke figured that was all he'd be getting out of him right now. He held out a hand to Naruto. "Can you stand?"

Naruto nodded and grabbed Sasuke's hand with his good arm, getting stiffly to his feet. The movement clearly caused him pain, and Sasuke supported him as they began to walk out of the shower room.

"Sasuke," said Naruto in a quiet voice, "don't tell Iruka, ok? I don't want him to worry."

Sasuke's ground his teeth, but nodded. Fine. Let Naruto have his under-the-radar no-fuss reaction if that's what he wanted. He could do things his way.

As for Sasuke? He made a promise to himself there and then that he was going to make Kenta and his gang pay.


	14. Foolish Actions

**AN**: Here's the next chapter, oh sweet ones. :D A little longer and a little plottier. Thank you as always so much for your reviews! I haven't had a chance to reply to any yet, but I will get cracking on that today! :)

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 13: Foolish Actions

"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough."

~Frank Crane

* * *

"So," said Sasuke, hanging back as Naruto walked up his front door steps. Naruto stopped, realizing this was the first time Sasuke had been at his house. They always hung out in public places or at Sasuke's because no parents were there. He looked up at the white house. I t was like one of those commercials for middle-class suburbia. A short concrete path stretched up to a white, box-shaped building topped by a red tiled roof. The two square white-framed windows on the bottom floor and the two on the second showed the likelihood of the same imaginatively designed box-shaped rooms inside. Naruto wasn't going to complain though. It might not be an Uchiha mansion, but it was better. It was home.

"So," said Naruto finally, repeating Sasuke's statement. He stood awkwardly in the doorway unsure of what to say.

The dark-haired teen flipped the car keys in his hand a few times. _Clink. Clink. Clink._

"I guess…I'll see you on Monday." Sasuke said at last, and began to walk down the path. Naruto took a couple of steps after him.

"Wait."

Sasuke turned.

"I, uh," began Naruto, fidgeting with his shirt sleeve. "I just wanted to say…thank you."

Sasuke said nothing, so Naruto continued,

"I've been a real dick to you lately, and you've helped me out a lot, so yeah…sorry and thanks."

Sasuke shrugged. "No problem."

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds and when they did it was at exactly the same time.

"Naruto, I-"

"Can we-?"

Sasuke flipped the keys. _Clink. Clink._ "You first."

Naruto cleared his throat. "I was gonna say…I mean, if you're ok with it, can we just pretend none of these past few weeks ever happened and go back to the way things were?"

The keys went still in Sasuke's hand, but his expression remained passive.

"Sure," he said. "No problem."

Naruto frowned. "Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine."

He turned and walked towards his dark blue Toyota Corolla parked at the side of the street.

"See you Monday then." called Naruto after him.

Sasuke waved and got into his car. A moment later, it pulled away and he was gone.

Naruto sighed and walked into the house.

The sound of footsteps thundered towards him as he closed the front door, and Iruka appeared in the living room doorway wringing a damp red-and-white check tea towel in his hands.

"H-hey, Iruka." said Naruto in what he hoped was a cheerful voice.

Iruka's lips thinned.

"Don't 'hey' me." said Iruka. "I've been calling your cell. Dinner was an hour ago. You didn't think it was worth letting me know you were going to be late?"

"Ah, sorry, Iruka." said Naruto edging his way towards the white wooden staircase. "I was at the doctors."

Iruka's expression turned from anger to concern. "Are you ok?"

He eyed the red patch on Naruto's cheek.

"I'm fine." said Naruto quickly. He gave a show of moving his arm and winced. "It's just my shoulder. I injured it during soccer training today. But it's ok. The doctor patched me up."

"Let me see." said Iruka coming over to him. He carefully pulled at Naruto's sleeve, revealing the white bandage the doctor had applied. Not much could be seen apart from the general redness of swollen skin creeping out from under the bandage.

Iruka pulled his hands away. "That looks painful."

Naruto shot him a rueful grin. "Yeah, my own clumsy fault. Go figure. I wasn't paying attention. The ball hit me in the face," he pointed at the red patch on his cheek, "And I fell over, putting all my weight onto my shoulder. But the doctor says it'll heal in a few weeks."

Iruka nodded sympathetically. "Well, next time at least call to let me know where you are, ok?"

"Yeah, I will. Sorry."

He turned to go up the stairs.

"Can I get you anything?" said Iruka, "I can heat up your dinner if you like."

Naruto grinned inwardly. It was like living with a foster mother rather than a foster father at times. "Yes, please. Is it ok if I eat in my room?"

Iruka threw the tea towel over his shoulder. "Sure."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks." He began making his way up the stairs.

"Naruto," called Iruka after him in a quiet voice. "Are you sure you're ok?"

It was a loaded question, and Naruto paused at the head of the stairs. "I'm fine." he said without turning round.

Gratefully, he made it to his room and leaned back against his door, heaving a sigh of relief. He had passed under the Iruka radar safely thus far. Guilt weighed heavily in his gut. He didn't like lying to Iruka, but after all that had happened last year, lying had become a kind of second nature - a habit he found hard to break.

Naruto threw his bag and Sasuke's black jacket onto the light wooden computer desk in the corner behind the door. Sinking onto his bed, he lay back and stared at the white ceiling. The sun was setting, shining its last warm rays through the window to dance on the white plaster of the walls. In the time he'd been here, he'd never gotten around to painting the room, leaving it with Iruka's original white. It was times like these he wished he had a bit of orange splashed around to warm the place up.

He sighed and winced. His stomach still spasmed in pain with every movement and his shoulder felt like it was purposely trying to detach itself, but he was too tired to care.

Never had Naruto been more grateful that Sasuke had managed to pass his driving test first time, despite how much the bastard had initially gloated at the achievement. He'd gotten Naruto some clothes from his house, and driven him straight to the doctors who had reassured them both that it was just a bad sprain. No permanent damage and it would heal in a few weeks. Meanwhile, he was to take it easy. Naruto hadn't mentioned the other injuries. He was no stranger to pain at this point and he knew enough to know they weren't serious, just damn sore.

Naruto pulled the white sheets of his bed half over his body in an odd sort of cocoon and closed his eyes. Images of Kenta's sneering face flashed into his mind. He pushed the memories away. He didn't want to think about that.

He'd never been afraid of Kenta, but now when he thought of him a bubble of fear welled up in his gut. Naruto turned painfully onto his side to face the window. The last rays had disappeared behind the horizon leaving the white room, dull and gray. He clenched the pillow tightly in his fingers. There was no way he'd be afraid of that jackass. If Naruto saw him again, he was going to kick his ass to kingdom come. At least, when he was feeling better he would.

For now, Naruto was just glad it was the weekend. He could take tomorrow off work and just rest. As soon as he was better, Kenta and his little groupies better watch out.

Naruto bit his lip. He could make up with Sasuke properly too. He had a lot of making up to do with that guy considering what a class-1 asshole he'd been recently. Once Monday came, things could go back to normal. They could be regular friends again. Naruto turned his head and looked at the dark shadow of the jacket hanging from his chair. He could still feel the sensation of Sasuke rubbing his numb, cold back in the shower. His cheeks flushed pink in the dark, and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Don't think about it like that." he whispered to himself, but he couldn't stop the flash of doubt from creeping into his mind.

Did he really want it to go back to normal?

* * *

"So, you'll have it ready for me?" said Sasuke into his sleek, black Samsung Galaxy.

He made a small noise of frustration at the voice on the other end. "Yes, of course I'm good for it. Is that a question you really need to ask? I'll be there shortly."

Sasuke pressed the red button on his touch screen, cutting off any possible answer. Not like he needed to hear it anyway. He hadn't been home for long before preparing to go back out again. A quick ready-made microwave meal was all he had eaten, much as he was loathe to put such filth in his body. A mere glance at his homework had told him he wouldn't be doing it tonight. No, there were other things to take care of. Sasuke donned his black hoodie and shoved his cellphone in his pocket. Tonight he would pay Mizuki another visit.

* * *

The bar was quieter this time around. Instead of the late night crowds, a smattering of tables were filled with low-talking regulars nursing their beer bottles. Sasuke had a feeling they rarely left those tables. Their eyes followed him suspiciously as he walked across the bar towards the tables in the back corner. His converse shoes still stuck to the sticky alcohol-ridden floor, and the establishment in general looked more dilapidated without the drunken bodies filling it. Its hollow style was laid bare, and the tables, chairs and bar looked lonely in the empty, black room. A ridiculous glittering disco ball hanging in the middle of the dance floor did nothing to lend the establishment any class. Pop music played from the sound system, but it was subdued to a quiet, background lull.

"Sasuke, what a delight to see you." said Mizuki sarcastically as the teen approached his table. He was sitting there with two other men. 'Grunts' was the word that came to mind. They were heavy-faced and had the look of men who knew their way around a fight.

Sasuke ignored them. "Do you have it?"

Mizuki smiled and smoothed down his suit. It was a light silver today to match his hair, coupled with a loose black shirt.

"That depends. Do you have my money?"

Sasuke dug out his brown leather wallet from his pocket and pulled out several 50 dollar bills. He handed them to Mizuki who counted them with relish before nodding to the man next to him. The 'grunt' quickly pulled out an envelope and put it on the table, eyeing Sasuke with a decided dislike. The feeling was mutual.

"I must admit, Sasuke, your call today surprised me." said Mizuki. "I didn't expect to ever do business with you. And you're buying a rather sizeable amount. What exactly are you getting yourself into?"

Sasuke picked up the packet and shoved it in his hoody pocket. "It's none of your concern."

Mizuki relaxed back in the booth with a smirk. "That charming Uchiha manner really does run in the family, doesn't it?"

Sasuke shot him a glare, but said nothing, turning away and heading out of the bar. That slimy drug dealer really had a knack for getting on his nerves.

* * *

Said slimy drug dealer pulled out his phone as Sasuke walked away.

"Yes, we made the transaction. He's leaving now."

He grinned a cheshire cat smile as he ended the call. That Uchiha brat wouldn't be his problem for much longer. He picked up his empty glass.

"More beer over here!" he shouted to the barkeep. He flashed his overly whitened teeth at his companions. "Soon enough, gentlemen, we'll be living the good life, much better than this dingy hole."

The now irritated-looking bartender placed 3 pints on the table.

Oops. Guess he'd overhead.

Mizuki shrugged. No matter. He'd probably be running this place soon enough. He picked up his glass.

"Men," he said, "Here's to a bright future."

Three glasses clinked together, their eyes following the dark-haired teen as he left the bar.

* * *

Faint noises of rushing traffic a few streets over met Sasuke's ears as he exited the building and turned down the lamp-lit street. The warm air of summer drifted over him, calming his irritation and the troubling memories of the day's events. He didn't think twice as he turned down a quiet side street, but his body tensed and he kept watch from his peripheral, noting the two figures lurking in a dark alley nearby.

"Sasuke Uchiha, yeah?" came a voice from the shadows.

Sasuke froze and turned to face the figure, but the streetlight shone just beyond the mouth of the alleyway, creating a dark shadow over the man. It didn't help that his face seemed to be covered by a long curtain of hair.

"Who wants to know?" asked Sasuke.

The man looked up and grinned, revealing two pale eyes. It was impossible to make out the color in the low light. He took a bite of what appeared to be string, but it broke off in his mouth.

The stranger stepped out of the shadows followed by another slightly shorter figure. The speaker flipped his hair which shone a light blonde, and his features were finally lit up by the streetlamp. Blessed with a delicate bone structure, pointed nose and full lips, this person was quite stunning. Surely, Sasuke had been mistake in thinking they were the speaker. Most definitely, she must be a woman.

"I'm Deidara." said the 'woman' in a decidedly many voice. "And this is my associate, Sasori."

He nodded towards the shorter figure who sported a short crop of spiked red hair and eyes that managed to look empty and dull even as the lamplight danced in them. Deidara grinned.

"I believe you've been looking for us, yeah?"

"You're Akatsuki?" asked Sasuke in disbelief. He wasn't sure what to think of these two odd figures. His gaze flitted around the empty street. For the Akatsuki to reveal themselves like this, there had to be good reason, and what reason could they possibly have to approach him?

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question, yeah?" replied Deidara. "You've been poking your nose in business you shouldn't. That gets you noticed, little Uchiha."

Sasuke shifted his feet, ready to run if necessary.

"Relax." said Deidara, "We're not here to bump you off if that's what you're thinking. You wanted to know about your brother, yeah?"

Sasuke stiffened. All thoughts of fleeing vanished from his mind and he stared at Deidara intensely. "Where is he?"

"All in good time, little Uchiha. First, there's some stuff I want to know."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Like what?"

Deidara took a few steps towards the side of the alley and leaned against the brick building rising high on one side. He chewed thoughtfully on the gum bootlace. "Like…you and that Uzumaki kid's involvement with Orochimaru. You guys were there during the whole shebang, yeah?"

Sasuke nodded curtly.

Deidara grinned. "I want to know about it."

"It was all in the papers." said Sasuke, his eyes narrowing. "You can find out everything you need to know there. Why ask me?"

Deidara shrugged. "You know how incomplete and biased these media monkeys can be. We want to hear it from you, yeah?"

Sasuke glanced at Deidara's silent companion. He might as well have been a statue since he simply stared dead ahead and didn't move an inch.

"Why?" he said, turning his gaze back to Deidara.

"Deidara grinned. "In our line of work, it pays to know everything you can about your enemies. Orochimaru was our 'competition' shall we say, and we want to know what he was working on, you get me? No skin off your back, yeah?"

Sasuke's gaze flitted between the two men. "You know about as much as I do I'm guessing. He was developing some kind of highly addictive drug."

"We know that, of course." replied Deidara, "but you must be familiar with drugs after what happened with your brother, yeah? What I wanna know is what it looked like. Did you see it?"

Sasuke shot him an accusatory look. "Funnily enough, it looked eerily similar to something the Akatsuki might develop."

Deidara spread out his hands. "Well, of course, that sneaky snake bastard had a habit of stealing our formulas and adapting them, but what did the drug look like? Was it an injection? A pill?"

Sasuke's mind was working overtime trying to figure out the game play here. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"No, no, no." Deidara shook his head with a smile, "It doesn't work that way, little Uchiha. If you don't tell us here, we just find out another way."

Sasori took a threatening step towards the raven-haired teen.

"You don't want that way." said Deidara. He glanced at his painted fingernails and picked something out from under it. "Besides, we're being generous in offering you information. Usually, we just take what we want."

He looked up. "Now, what did the drug look like?"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. These idiots didn't scare him, but this blond-haired she-man had a point. They could get the information somehow, so why not find out about Itachi while he could. Sasuke thought back to the fateful day he'd confronted Naruto. The day they had spilled out of his bag and all over the floor, each ugly little pill laughing in his face.

"They were pills." he said, "Small, round – about the size of a dime and red."

The two men exchanged a dark glance before Deidara returned to his original nonchalance.

"Red, huh? And those were the pills your little friend took, yeah?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Why does that matter?"

Deidara shrugged. "Curiosity, I guess." He smirked, the lamp light creating harsh shadows on his features. "Just like your curiosity to know where your brother is right now."

Sasuke clenched his fists, the hunger to know boiling in his gut.

"So, they're the ones he took?" prompted Deidara.

Sasuke gave a brief nod, and the blond man grinned, pushing himself away from the wall.

"Well, thanks for the information."

Sasuke frowned. "That's all you wanted to know?"

The man didn't reply and began to walk down the alleyway, but Sasuke ran after him and grabbed his arm.

"You promised me information on my brother." he said in a low growl.

The next moment he was yanked away and shoved against the wall. Stars burst in his head as it collided with the bricks, and he found himself being pinned with an arm over his throat – the empty eyes of the spiky-haired man staring emotionlessly at him. Deidara brushed a few strands of blond hair from his forehead.

"It's all good, Sasori." he said. "A deal's a deal, yeah?"

Sasori relaxed his grip slightly, but didn't let go. Sasuke remained stock still.

"It's a matter of principle to keep your personal shit to yourself in our organization, and Akatsuki aren't stupid enough to stay in one place, so I can't tell you where he lives." said Deidara. He tapped a finger on his delicate chin thoughtfully. "But his partner did tell me once about a place he often visits, and that's the West Konoha Cemetery."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Rings a bell, yeah?" said Deidara with a grin. "Hang out there long enough and you might meet him."

Deidara turned to leave once again.

"Wait," said Sasuke. He pushed Sasori off him and shot him a glare before turning to Deidara. "Why are you giving me this information so easily? Itachi is one of yours."

Deidara popped the last of the gum lace into his mouth. "The Akatsuki ain't no brotherhood, kid. It's every man for himself, so it's not skin off my back if you kill him." He snorted. "Good luck with that though."

"Enough yabbering." cut in a rough voice, "Do you want to give him your life story too?"

The statue speaks, thought Sasuke in mild surprise.

"Tsk, you should enjoy yourself once in a while, Sasori." said Deidara.

"I'll enjoy myself once the task is done." came the terse reply.

Deidara flipped his long blond hair. "I guess that's the difference between you and me. I have style and finesse when I do things."

"Stop vomiting words, and let's go." Sasori pushed past him. "You waste too much time messing around when it's the results that are important.

Deidara growled, following after him. "You don't know what you're talking about, yeah? Style is the most important. If you don't do it with style then the results are meaningless."

"You really don't know anything do you? You're so immature." was Sasori's reply.

"Oh yeah? Well, you're just a prematurely middle-aged old fart disguised in a young guy's body."

They left Sasuke behind, completely forgotten as they argued, and the teen blinked, listening as the bickering voices faded into the night. Well, the Akatsuki certainly had not been what he was expecting. He squared his shoulders. It didn't matter. He finally had a lead on Itachi. Sasuke smiled grimly to himself. Looks like he would be spending the rest of his weekend at West Konoha Cemetery.

At his parents' graves.

* * *

"We got the information you wanted, boss."

Deidara was smart enough not to chew on his favorite snack as the man seated at the desk stared him down. Why was Sasori just hanging back like he had nothing to do with this assignment?

"The drug?" said the man in a low voice.

"From the Uchiha kid's description it sounds like an adaptation of our good old red moon variety, yeah." replied Deidara.

"And the boy?"

Deidara swallowed. "Yeah, he said that kid was taking them."

The man nodded. "Then we need no further investigation. He sat back in his chair, so that only his pale eyes were visible in the darkness. "It's time to bring the Uzumaki child in."


	15. Finally

**AN**: HOLY CRAPPITY CRAP! I am SO sorry for leaving you for so long. I'm going to use the usual excuses of life in the way, lack of inspiration and lack of internet for a short while (which was TORTURE), but there's no excuse in the end, and I apologize. I logged in after ages and found loads of review from you! Thank you so much! And those made me think, "Forget life, forget lack of inspiration, I gotta get this freaking thing finished!" So, I finally worked out the entire rest of the story. I had been having writer's block with the details which made it hard to proceed, but you guys have been so patient, and now that I've worked things out I'm setting myself a goal to get this done by November if possible. I'm already at work on the next chapter which I'll get up soon, and I'll be writing every day from now on. My lovelies, you've waited long enough for this. Please read on. Meanwhile, I'll get to work on replying to your messages. :) I'll write little answers to the guests here since I can't reply to you through messaging.

To Guests/Dodo/Esike/apple/Destiny MeLynn/Everyone! - I really appreciate your reviews and lovely comments (yes, the constructive criticism too I love to bits). You have no idea. Even all of you asking me to update really has made me update. I'm sorry for neglecting you, and I'll be working much harder to get these up.

To Rei - You're still on Cloud Cover at the moment, but I can only reply to you here to say thank you for all the reviews! It's interesting for me to see your reactions to each chapter! (^_^)

To mE1989 - Orochimaru did indeed do that although I didn't go into detail (Chapter 20 of Cloud Cover). I see him as a character who takes a delight in emotionally and psychologically torturing people. And yeah, Naruto has been very closed off about stuff that has happened, which isn't healthy, so I hope they'll get through things well. I'm looking forward to that too! (^_^)

Now ignore this, let's read the chapter! (^_^)

* * *

**Red Storm**

Chapter 14: Finally

"Developing the muscles of the soul demands no competitive spirit, no killer instinct, although it may erect pain barriers that the spiritual athlete must crash through."

~Germain Greer

* * *

The following few days were the most awkward of Naruto's life. He tried to pretend nothing had happened when he returned to school. He met his friends at the lockers in the mornings. He ignored the sniggers of other students sent in his direction in the school hallways and classes. He even talked to Sasuke normally as before, but it was like a huge invisible wall had sprung up between them and it felt completely impassable. Whenever Naruto tried to make conversation he was met with a simple grunt or the shortest answer possible.

Naruto had counted. Sasuke somehow managed never to speak beyond three words if Naruto addressed him. It frustrated him more and more as a growing desperation mounted in his stomach to just get rid of this blockade and have Sasuke speaking normally again (even if normal was usually only 10 syllables). It was driving him crazy.

"So, am I still coming over to your house to study tomorrow?" he asked the silent teen next to him as they pulled their bags out of their lockers. It was Wednesday - another awkward school day mercifully at an end.

Sasuke shrugged, not looking at him. "If you want."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Well, why not? We always study together on Thursday for the Friday history test, right?"

"Up to you." replied Sasuke. He closed his locker and shouldered his black and white striped backpack.

"Well then, I guess, yeah if you don't mind and stuff."

"Sure." said Sasuke. A moment later he was down the hallway and around the corner without a backward glance.

Naruto slammed his locker door shut hard as he glared after the other teen. Ok, so he knew it was his fault, but come on, hadn't Sasuke said it would be ok if things went back to normal?

"Naruto."

He froze when he heard his name. It was _her_ voice - the one person he had been dreading to meet the most. He turned slowly, his heart beating a stampede in his chest. Sakura stood in front of him, her pink brows hovering over haunted green eyes, and she held her right arm across her stomach, touching the left arm as if protecting herself from some unknown enemy. The soft, white chiffon top she was wearing made her look like an angel, but the hurt in her gentle, green eyes made his blood run cold. He hadn't seen her since…since the evening in the park. Had she been avoiding him? He wanted to speak, to say something, but his mouth was dry.

"I already talked to Sasuke. So, it's true – what they're saying." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

Naruto took a step forward and spread out his hands in a pleading gesture.

"Sakura, I can explain." he started, but she pulled away, cutting him off.

"Is he the real reason we broke up?" she asked.

Naruto held up his hands. "No! I mean, the reason I told you was real. I didn't want to be with Sasuke, I mean, he kissed me. I didn't want it. I pushed him away. I wasn't-" he stopped, searching for some words that would ease the pain she must be feeling right now.

He looked into her eyes with as much sincerity as he could. "You have to believe me, Sakura. I would never try to hurt you like this."

Sakura's eyes began to water and she blinked, sending a single tear dripping down her cheek. "I know you wouldn't, Naruto."

She dropped her arms at her sides and clenched her fists tightly, hiding her face as she looked down at the ground, but Naruto could see the tiny droplets splashing on the concrete leaving tiny dark circles.

"You've only ever been kind to me." she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "That's why, that's why I can't hate you even though I want to."

"I'm sorry, Sakura." he murmured.

There was silence between them for a few moments and then the girl wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up at him.

"He kissed you?"

Naruto could only nod, waiting for the onslaught, but nothing came, no shouting, no anger. Then his breath caught in his throat when Sakura's lips quirked upwards, an odd smile on her face. She shook her head and gave a bitter laugh.

"I should have realized it, you know." she said, the tears still pouring down her cheeks. Her sleeve had done nothing to stem the flow. "You were the only one he ever noticed. The only one he ever acknowledged."

Naruto felt his chest tighten. Was that true? Now that he thought about it, it was kind of true. Sasuke had never willingly spent time with anyone else before him. He stared at Sakura in surprise. That had never occurred to him.

"I tried to get close to him for so long, but he always shut me out." continued Sakura with a sniff. "But you, you were just there, and you became the biggest part of his world without even trying."

Naruto didn't know what to say, so he did the only thing he could think of. He dropped his bag pack on the floor and dug a bashed-looking pack of tissues out of it before handing one to the girl. Sakura accepted it with a low 'thanks' and wiped her eyes.

"I'm really jealous of you, Naruto." she said at last, staring at the tissue in her hands.

"Y-you shouldn't be, Sakura. I mean, it's not like anything is going to happen. H-he's a bastard…and he's a guy." Naruto wasn't quite sure why he stuttered saying this. His voice should be full of conviction. It was freaking annoying. Now he realized how Hinata must always feel.

Sakura wiped her nose and gave him a small smile. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She sighed. "Well, I guess this makes us rivals from now on."

If Naruto could have blushed every color of the rainbow right then, he would have. Him? A love rival for Sasuke freaking Uchiha?

"No." he all but shouted throwing up his hands, "Don't get the wrong idea. Sakura, you can have him. Besides he's ignoring me now."

Sakura's smile dropped. "Naruto Uzumaki, you have a chance to be with Sasuke and you're going to throw it away? You're more of an idiot than I thought."

"B-but," started Naruto. "I thought you wanted to-"

Sakura clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tche, you idiot. I know that with or without you in the picture, it's not going to happen, ok? I just…" She bit her lip and met Naruto's gaze. "If he's going to be with someone, at least I wouldn't hate it so much if it was you. You're one of the best people I know. Besides," She scratched her head. "I kind of feel a little bit better knowing that he's gay. Now I know I never had a chance."

It was as if the world had slowed down and stopped. He didn't even know what he could say to that. He knew Sakura was an amazing person, but to be this selfless, this kind. "Sakura, you-"

Sakura frowned and punched him hard in the stomach, her fist as hard as a sledgehammer.

Naruto cried out, holding his torso and doubling over. He looked up at her through pain-filled eyes. "Ow! Sakura, what was that for?"

She folded her arms and looked away. "Don't you dare hold back just because of me." She met his gaze again, her expression softening. "Or I'll never forgive you…ok, Naruto?"

Naruto straightened up painfully. "What're you saying?"

Sakura pushed him lightly. "Psht. Idiot. I'm saying that if you like Sasuke, don't use me as an excuse to run away. You got that?"

Naruto frowned. He wasn't using her as an excuse. It was, he was...he wasn't, was he?

He swallowed.

"Sakura, you…really are amazing."

Sakura smiled, but it was strained. Naruto knew that kind of smile all too well. It had been his mask for so long after all, but he knew how much worse it felt to have it torn off, so he said nothing about it as she turned and waved casually over her shoulder.

"Tell me something I don't know." she said as she walked away. "See you tomorrow, Uzumaki. You'd better watch out though because I won't be giving up on Sasuke."

Naruto couldn't hide the smile that appeared unconsciously on his face.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Haruno."

* * *

When Naruto arrived at Sasuke's house the following afternoon books in hand, his heart was beating fast and an inexplicable fear was sending electric jolts through his gut. He took a deep breath.

"It's just Sasuke." he said quietly before pressing the white button of the doorbell with his good arm.

There was the sound of slow footsteps and then the door swung open. Sasuke stood there in skinny, black, stonewashed jeans and a gray-and-white t-shirt. A silver charm on a black leather thong hung round his throat. Naruto groaned inwardly. Was he purposely trying to look a sex god rock star just to tempt him? Then again, when Naruto thought about it, didn't Sasuke always look like this? He felt heat begin to rise in his cheeks at the thought. Sasuke Uchiha…was sexy.

Sasuke cleared his throat and Naruto quickly looked away realizing he'd been caught staring.

"You coming in?"

_Well, with a warm invitation like that, how can I resist?_ thought Naruto to himself sarcastically.

He pasted a tight smile on his face and entered the foreboding dark hallway. The great mahogany stairs stretched up towards an even darker landing. Had it always been this unwelcoming?

Naruto fidgeted a bit with his bag as he hung about awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where are we studying?"

Sasuke shrugged. "My room as usual."

He made his way up the stairs, not looking back to see if Naruto was following.

As of 3 minutes ago, Naruto was seriously regretting ever suggesting this study session. He followed Sasuke up the stairs and into his room where he automatically sat down in his usual spot on the bed. He felt Sasuke's eyes on him and turned slightly pink before shifting onto the floor and spreading his books around him.

"So…I've revised chapters 1 through 10. I got up to the part about the holy wars. How about you?"

Sasuke sat down at his desk. "I'm on chapter 15 at the moment. He indicated to a few books on his shelf. I got some other sources on the library to get some more background on the crusades from other points of view."

Naruto groaned inwardly. Of course Sasuke went to the library to read more than they'd been assigned. He opened his mouth to make fun of him, but Sasuke turned to look at him at that moment just waiting for the insult, the insult they both knew would come in a completely normal situation and start of one of their usual banter-style arguments. Naruto lost his nerve. He shut his mouth and looked away.

"Ok, cool. I'll have a look if I need anything."

Sasuke grunted his reply and spread his own homework out on the desk before burying his head in his books.

And that was that. The most silent, awkward study session commenced. Every now and again, Naruto would look at Sasuke, or rather his back from this position. He studied the smooth dark locks that fell forward and the muscles on his back that moved under his t-shirt as he wrote.

Sakura's words kept repeating themselves in his head. "You have a chance to be with Sasuke and you're going to throw it away? You're more of an idiot than I thought."

Naruto sighed and leaned his head against the side of the bed. How could he study with all this crap going on in his mind?

The minutes and seconds crawled past, and Naruto felt an enormous sense of relief as 6 o' clock finally came around. That was Naruto's usual time to leave and eat dinner at Iruka's. He grabbed his books and shoved them hastily into his bag. Sasuke looked up and turned round for the first time in the two hours since Naruto had arrived.

The blond teen forced a smile.

"So, thanks for the books and all. You wanna study again tomorrow?" asked Naruto, He didn't know why he suggested that. Why did he suggest that?

Sasuke shrugged. "If you want."

Frustration flashed through Naruto as the whole polite reserve finally got broken by sheer Uzumaki temper. "What's with you?"

Sasuke began to put away his books. "What do you mean?"

Naruto frowned, grabbing Sasuke's arm before quickly letting him go when Sasuke met his gaze. "You've been so weird this week. All polite and shit. You barely talk. It's weirding me out."

Sasuke quirked a dark brow. "I've been trying to keep my distance. Isn't that what you wanted? To stay friends?"

"No." said Naruto immediately, then backtracked, "I mean, yes, but…"

He hesitated and his heart rate sped up as Sasuke shut his book and took a step towards the blond, closing the gap between them and fixing him with a dark stare.

"But?"

Naruto could take in every feature of his friend now, the strong, aqualine nose, full, pale mouth and those jet-black eyes that seemed to suck him in yet see right through him at the same time.

He flustered and blurted out, "But I just want things to go back to the way they were. You know, before."

Disappointment shone clearly in Sasuke's face before he looked away and stepped back.

"I see."

He put the book on the desk and stared at it dully.

Naruto felt a moment of panic as the closeness was suddenly lost, that glimmer of the real Sasuke hidden beneath a cold exterior once again. He almost reached out, but then Sasuke spoke..

"Things can't go back to the way they were before."

Naruto frowned. "Why not?"

Sasuke said the words seriously and without hesitation, fixing Naruto with a firm stare. "Because I have feelings for you."

Naruto turned bright red and suddenly became interested in the wood grain on the beechwood door.

"Oh well, you know, that's…" he stammered.

Sasuke sighed and turned away.

"You should probably go. I'll see you on Monday, ok?"

Naruto watched him as he began to walk out of the room obviously expecting Naruto to follow, but the blond's mind was in uproar and a million emotions jostled through his head, clouding his thoughts. Doubt and fear and excitement all mingled in a rush, and his mind made the decision before he could even think about it. Oh hell, he was going to regret this.

Naruto gritted his teeth and called after the stupid, spiky-haired raven, "Yeah, well, maybe I sort of have feelings for you too, asshole."

He clapped a hand to his mouth, realizing what he'd just admitted. Sasuke froze in the middle of the hallway and turned to look back at Naruto, shock written all over his face.

"What did you just say?"

Naruto folded his arms and lifted his chin up. "I said you're an asshole."

A flash of annoyance passed over Sasuke's face and he strode up to his stubborn friend who back-stepped hurriedly until he hit the wall behind him. Sasuke put his hands on the wall next to Naruto's head, trapping him in the small space. His dark eyes had never looked more intense as he searched Naruto's gaze.

"No, the other thing." he said.

Naruto swallowed and looked anywhere but at him. "You mean, the maybe sort of kind of liking you thing?" The last part of his sentence trailed off almost to a whisper, but Sasuke just smirked.

"Yeah, that thing."

He leaned forward then and Naruto closed his eyes automatically waiting for that familiar warmth, the feeling of a soft pair of lips when…nothing came. His eyes opened only to see Sasuke's smirking face a few inches from his own. Sasuke pulled away then taking all his warmth and…Sasukeness with him.

"Come round to my house tomorrow and we'll do homework." he said as he began to turn away.

A hot jolt of anger shot through Naruto and he grabbed Sasuke's arm, yanking him round.

"Oi, bastard, you don't get to do that and then just walk away."

Surprise passed over Sasuke's face once more before changing to a look of determination. The blond gulped, the expression in the dark eyes sending a jolt of nervous electricity through him. The next moment, he found himself pinned against the wall again as Sasuke lowered his face to his. When his soft lips finally met Naruto's own it was like a floodgate opening. The feel and taste of Sasuke filled him and suddenly the rest of the world was lost. There was only the sensation of skin brushing against skin, warm lips moving against warm lips.

Sasuke sought Naruto's mouth like a desperate man. He pressed one hand against the wall next to Naruto and the other went to the back of his head, pushing through his hair and at the same time pulling him closer.

And Naruto? Well, Naruto freaking kissed back. He grabbed at Sasuke's shirt collar and pulled his body closer until they melted together, gripping the other teen's raven locks with his other hand. It wasn't a soft kiss or even particularly skillful. It was fast, sloppy and desperate as each boy tried to get more and more of the other, their bodies pressing against one another, their heat mingling.

Naruto's mind was in a whirl as he felt Sasuke's warm wet tongue swipe his lip, seeking entrance, and hell, if he didn't give it. He opened his mouth slightly and the next moment their warm tongues were battling for dominance. A fresh, linen smell mixed with a musky woodiness filled his senses and he breathed it in – the smell of Sasuke Uchiha. It had wafted past him so many times in the past when they'd studied together, talked together – every time the Uchiha was near him. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and pushed him away. The teen's dark eyes flashed worry and then utter shock as Naruto smirked and shoved him onto the bed next to them.

"What? You think you're the only one who gets to dominate?"

With a grin, he got on top of a still-shocked Sasuke and continued their battle, pressing his lips to his friends' and running his hand through his smooth, jet black hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch. Naruto had always imagined it to be slighty stiff with gel.

Sasuke pulled Naruto closer on top of him and the blond could feel him smile smugly into the kiss, taking in every part that was Naruto.

After what seemed an age, Naruto pulled away, breathing heavily.

"You…" he said between breaths. "…are a massive bastard."

Sasuke smirked.

"And you," he said before swiftly switching their positions and making Naruto's mouth drop open in indignant surprise, "…are a total dumbass."

Naruto grinned and the two boys just stared at each other for a few moments. Sasuke reached down and touched Naruto's face, tracing his features. The touch was so soft, so tender, so ….un-Sasuke-like it caught the blond by surprise and he reddened. Sasuke's throat bobbed as he swallowed and lowered his head towards Naruto, capturing his lips once again, and Naruto closed his eyes allowing the sheer sensation of it to fill his mind, trying desperately not to think. He wasn't afraid to admit it. He was terrified from the moment Sasuke had started kissing him. Hell, he was terrified from the moment he'd walked in the door of his house. Even now his heart hammered in his chest and he felt like he was going to devolve into a panicked mess, but his mind took control and calmed him.

_It's Sasuke. He's safe. _he thought to himself.

The kiss was softer this time, slower as the boys took their time exploring one another. Naruto couldn't get enough of running his hands through Sasuke's surprisingly soft hair. Sasuke pulled away slightly and drifted down to the other teen's throat, kissing and sucking. Naruto let slip a small moan as Sasuke found a particularly sweet spot. He bit his lip, wondering if Sasuke would make fun of him, but there was nothing other than Sasuke repeating the action making Naruto's breathing become labored as he sought to control himself. He'd never experienced this kind of thing before - actual pleasure in these kinds of situations. It was new and foreign…and it felt damn good.

Then Naruto felt vague surprise at a hardness pressing into his leg and his eyes flashed open. Sasuke must have noticed the change in mood because he too opened his eyes before following Naruto's gaze. He pulled away slightly and smirked.

"Don't look so surprised. I'm not the only one."

Naruto felt his face redden as he realized he was completely hard. He bit his lip and looked away.

Sasuke frowned. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Easy for you to say." mumbled Naruto.

Sasuke moved off him, allowing Naruto to sit up. "Not really. I've been through all this awkward part. You're just catching up."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You felt like this before?"

Sasuke shrugged. "When I didn't want to admit my feelings to myself, yeah. It was torture, so I know how you feel."

Naruto swallowed. Somehow he had never imagined Sasuke having real fallible human emotions like embarrassment or fear. He always seemed beyond that, too collected.

Sasuke flopped back on the eiderdown and stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to push you or make you do anything you don't want to do."

Naruto scratched his arm and looked away in embarrassment. "I'm not a girl, you know." he mumbled.

Yet he was probably acting like one now. He pushed the thought away and shrugged before falling back next to Sasuke, joining him in staring at the ceiling.

"Man, this is so weird." he murmured.

Sasuke raised a brow and nudged him lightly with his shoulder. "Only if you make it weird, moron."

"Hey, I'm not a moron." said Naruto indignation lacing his tone, "I can't help it if it's weird falling for a stubborn jackass like you."

He could practically feel the other teen's smirk even though he wasn't looking at his face.

"So, you've fallen for me, huh?"

Heat engulfed Naruto's cheeks. "What!? No! I mean…I mean…shut up. It's your fault. Confusing me with your weirdness and stuff."

Sasuke pushed himself up onto his elbow and fixed Naruto with a strange smile. "Oh, you are definitely coming over to do more homework tomorrow."

Naruto swallowed as he stared into the intense dark eyes. What had he just let himself in for? And why was it that he just couldn't bring himself to regret it?

* * *

AN: Freaking hell, was this long enough in coming or what? You know me though. There's always danger on the horizon...


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